Need You Now: Part Two
by BabyGurl2012
Summary: Christian and Ana have found their happiness. Can it remain untouched?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here we are in the first chapter of the Need You Now sequel which picks up about seven months down the road. I hope you enjoy!**

**C POV**

"Come here Jamison." I hold my hands out for the baby who giggles and continues crawling to me. Since he started crawling a month ago, he's been on a roll. The installation of baby gates hasn't slowed him down. He stops and looks past me with his adorable smile widening. Who am I kidding? Everything about the kid is adorable. I know without looking who holds his attention, Ana. Fuck I love that woman more and more every day.

"What are you doing baby boy?", she asks him sweetly. "Are you crawling to Daddy?" Moving to my side, she kisses me feverishly before looking back at Jamison. "I was in the middle of doing my work when I needed a Christian and Jamison fix."

Although Ana hasn't officially ruled out a return to a college campus, she's spent the last several months doing online classes. With Gail on maternity another few weeks, Ana's juggling classwork and tending to Jamison. The Taylors welcomed their daughter Riley Elizabeth four weeks ago and are happier than ever. Yes I said Taylors. They changed their minds at the last minute about getting married. So, they were married only a day before the baby was born. Another milestone, the birth of April and Bryce's baby boy who coincidentally was born on the same day as Riley. Little Alexander Nicholas, or Alex, wasn't due for another week but was determined to be born on the same day as Riley.

"How is your work coming along?"

"I'm almost finished with my report. I just need to proof read it and then I can email it to my instructor."

"I bet it's the best report in the history of reports.", I tell her. "Have you heard anything from your dad about the fishing trip?"

"Darn. I almost forgot. He said next week would be good for him. He's busy helping Mary at the diner this week." Ray went through with his plan to propose to Mary. He surprised her with a trip to the beach, popping the question during sunset. They haven't chosen a date yet.

"What's he doing at the diner?"

"A little bit of everything. Carol's out sick, and the new bus boy decided he didn't want to work there anymore."

"Why not?" Jamison arrives at my feet and starts giving me those "pick me up Daddy" eyes. I scoop him into my arms and smother him with kisses, causing him to coo with delight.

"Apparently he comes from a wealthy family and doesn't have to work. His mom is the one who called and gave Mary the news. Mary told her she would have liked for him to give her more of a notice. The mother's response, "That's life." Now that my dad is on board with the trip, who else do you need confirmation from?"

"He was the only one I was waiting on. My dad, Elliot, and Ben already said yes as well as Charles. He sounded pretty excited about the trip over the phone. It seems fishing is something he loves, but he hasn't done much. His father didn't have anything like that with him." Charles and I have come a long way in the last few months. We've gotten to know each other even more in additon to him getting to know my parents. I wasn't sure how the three of them would get along, yet they've become friends. His mother has tried unsuccessfully to pry her way back into his life. During his last visit here a few weeks ago, her call went unanswered. He claims he doesn't miss her, but I feel at least a tiny part of him does.

"Jamison's looking forward to going when he's a little older. All of you guys better watch out because he's going to show you who's the king of fishing." Jamison kicks his feet and giggles. "See. He's already taunting you."

"I don't mind being shown up by you."

* * *

"Elliot, would you please remove your feet from my desk?" He shrugs and pulls his feet from the surface of my desk. "Since you're here, it'll save me a phone call by telling you the fishing trip is definitely on for next week. Ray told Ana he could make it."

"Awesome. It's going to be a good weekend of just us guys fishing and roughing up. I might not even bring my phone with me. You should consider doing the same."

"Uh no. I've got a wife and baby. Not having a phone where they can reach me or me reach them is unacceptable. I'm not going to stop you if you want to rough it. While the rest of us sleep in the cabin, you're more than welcome to pop up a tent and sleep outside. I don't think there's a lot of bears in the area."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!", he exclaims while waving his hands. "I changed my mind."

"I sensed you would. Besides work, what have you been doing?", I ask. He turns around one of the framed photos of Jamison which I have placed on the desk. "Elliot?"

"I've been doing...stuff. I cleaned the house last night for Mom. She said she was going to do it when she got home from work, but she was exhausted. It felt good doing it." One of the biggest chances is the breakup between Elliot and Spencer. When they summoned everyone to my parents' house three weeks ago, everyone thought it was to announce their engagement. We couldn't have been more wrong. It seems the two had drifted apart and were disagreeing more and more. An argument over a small thing would in turn result in an argument over something larger. If there's a glimmer of hope, it's that they still talk and get along as friends. Elliot's currently staying with parents.

"Do you have any plans of finding your own place?", I ask.

"Of course I plan on getting my own place.", he scoffs. "I've been looking, but nothing has interested me. With that being said, Spencer said she might possibly have the perfect place. It's small and doesn't have much of a driveway, but I can always park my truck on the curb."

"Spencer's going to help you find a place? Hmm. Interesting."

"Don't start over analyzing things. We're friends who are there for each other. About that trip..."

"Ah, changing the subject, the ultimate way of avoiding the issue."

"There's no issue to avoid.", he insists.

* * *

**A POV**

"Do you remember me telling you about Garrett from work.", Spencer asks over our lunch at MOD Pizza. I tap my finger on the side of my water glass while trying to recall the guy in question. "He works in menswear. He's the one who jump started my car last week."

"Oh yes. I still wonder if "jump starting the car" is some sort of euphemism." Although he has no idea what he laughing at, Jamison joins me in laughter, but Spencer only glares at me. "Sorry. What about Garret from work?"

"He asked me out." The laughter has ceased and been replaced by silence. "That's the exact look I was expecting you to have."

"I just didn't think you would be going out on dates so soon after things ended with Elliot.", I shrug, taking a big bite of my pizza.

"I turned him down. I know you, Christian, and everyone else want Elliot and I back together."

"Because the two of you are meant to be together. You might be upset when I tell you what I need to say. I feel you gave up too easily. You should have fought harder." Spencer takes a deep breath followed by a long sip of her water. "Be mad at me all you want, but I'm your best friend who's telling her opinion."

"Well thanks for your opinion.", she snarls. "I shouldn't be mad at you for expressing your feeling, but I keep being told from you and practically the entire world that Elliot and I should be together. Ana, I love Elliot, but sometimes love isn't enough. I get things can't all be sunshine and rainbows."

"You're right. Look at Christian and me. We've had our struggles but always come out on top in the end."

"And I'm happy for you and Christian, but Elliot and I aren't you and Christian. I can't predict the future and where we'll end up. We could end up back together at some point." I perk up at this tidbit. "I'm not saying it'll happen. I'm just saying neither of us have ruled out a reconciliation down the road. For now, we need to apart."

"I don't like.", I sigh, hearing what sounds like a sigh from Jamison. "The baby doesn't like it. Even so, you have our support."

"Thanks. What are you doing while Christian's on his fishing trip?", Spencer asks.

"Throwing a wild party complete with dancing and goats. Heck, there might even be dancing goats."

"The usual, huh?"

"I really haven't thought about what I'm going to do. I'll probably just stay close to home and relax with Jamison."

* * *

"Elliot dropped by the office today. I asked about him looking for his own place. He told me that Spencer might the perfect one in mind.", Christian says while we're sitting in the living room before dinner.

"I wish it were her apartment." He pulls me closer to him and places a kiss on my forehead. "We could always force them into the same room like we did before, but I'm going to respectful of their decision."

"So am I." The front door opens, and in walks Gail and Taylor who's holding Riley's carrier.

"Hey.", Taylor replies. "We hope we're not disturbing, but we wanted to say hi."

"I'm enjoying being with the baby, but I needed some fresh air.", Gail says with a smile. "Where's Jamison?"

"He's spending some time with my parents.", Christian answers. "Hello Miss Riley. You're adorable. Thank goodness you look like your mom."

"I was telling Gail the same thing earlier.", Taylor laughs. "She does have my nose though."

"I think she's the perfect combination of the two of you. Taylor, are you still getting up with her during the night?", I ask. Taylor eases the baby out of the carrier and into his arms.

"I do. Gail gets up some as well, but I figure she does a lot during the day when I'm working that I should take the night shift."

"I told you not long after Jamison was born there wasn't anything better than getting up at night to take care of your baby, but you laughed it off.", Christian tells Taylor. "Look at you now."

"I was very wrong."

"I'm sure this is one time you're glad to be wrong."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"You and Jamison could come with us. I'm sure the guys wouldn't mind. There's going to be plenty of room at the cabin." Christian throws his suitcase bag in the SUV as I hold Jamison by the front of the house.

"Your offer is sweet, but Jamison and I are going to pass. This is a weekend for you and the rest of the guys to bond. Besides, I need a break from you.", I tease. His fingers feather down my cheek as Jamison giggles.

"I'm going to miss both of you. It's going to be hard not seeing your faces when I wake up in the morning. I do feel better knowing that you have security here." Even though Christian and the guys are only going to be gone one night, he didn't want to tear Taylor away from Gail and Riley so Ryan is accompanying him this weekend. "I'll be calling and texting constantly."

"You wouldn't be you if you didn't. Jamison, do you want Daddy to catch a lot of fish? You do?" Jamison's hands reach for Christian who takes him and plasters his cheeks with butterfly kisses. A cab turns into the driveway and stops in front of the SUV. Charles climbs out with a suitcase. "Hi Charles."

"Hey.", Christian echoes. "How was your flight?"

"It was ok. I slept part of the way and then watched some movies." He places a hand on Jamison's shoulder. "Hey there little man. Your dad told me you've been crawling all over the place."

"Thank goodness for baby gates. We should get going. We have to go and meet up with the others at my parents' house." Charles seems to handle hearing Christian referring to Carrick and Grace as his parents well. "Jamison, be good for Mommy." After kissing Jamison again, he turns to me and kisses me one more time. "I love you both."

"We love you."

"Bye Ana. Bye Jamison.", Charles says as he puts his suitcase in the vehicles and gets in on the rear passenger side. Christian follows by entering on the rear driver's side. He rolls his window down and waves the entire they're going down the drive and even a little once out on the road. Soon, they're out of sight.

"It's just me and you baby boy. We're going to have a nice weekend too. Your grandma Grace, Aunt Mia, Spencer, and Mary are going to stop by later." An unpleasant smells hits my nose. "But first let's get you a clean diaper."

* * *

**CPOV**

"Ben, this place is beautiful.", Ray says. We're standing on the porch of Ben's family's cabin in Chelan.

"Thanks. My dad came up here a few weeks ago, but this is the first time I've been here in a while."

"Was the last time when all of us were here?", I ask. While Ana was pregnant, she and I came up here with everyone. It was a wonderful weekend. _Fuck I miss Ana. I miss Jamison._

"That would be the time." Elliot and Charles have walked out outside after getting their things unpacked. "Elliot, remember how you fell into the mud the last time you were here?" My dad who's sitting in one of the porch's wicker rocking chairs starts laughing.

"I have to hear this story.", Dad says.

"One word, Mia.", Elliot snarls. "She pushed me into a huge pile of mud although she claimed it was an accident. Spencer backed her up by saying she saw the entire thing, but I'm to this day convinced it was on purpose."

"Elliot, do you really believe Mia would willingly do such a thing?", Ben asks.

"Hell yeah. I take it my darling but crazy sister will be joining my mom at Christian and Ana's?"

"She is along with Mary and Spencer." Elliot goes quiet at the mention of Spencer's name. "I wouldn't worry about them getting all drunk and wild."

"I can guarantee that my mom, Ana, and Mary probably won't, and as far as Mia goes, I can't see that either. Spencer, well, she's free to do whatever she wants. She's young and single."

"I haven't seen you since it happened, but I'm sorry about you and Spencer.", Ray tells Elliot. "The two of you always seemed so happy together."

"We were happy.", Elliot murmurs. For a second, I think he's about to cry, but he turns away from everyone and gathers himself. "Things happen though. What can you do? The point of this weekend is to relax and have some guy bonding time. Why don't we do that by getting our gear and catching up some fish?"

"I'm fine with that.", I reply. "I need to call Ana first."

"And I need to call Grace.", my dad adds. "Ray, Ben, I assume you're going to call Mary and Mia?"

"Yeah.", Ben answers. "Mia wanted me to call as soon we got here which I failed to do."

"Ah, one of the great things about not being in a relationship, not having to check in every five minutes. Charles, don't you agree?"

"Uh..well..actually I kind of have someone I need to call. Her name is Gina. We've been friends for a few years, but things have changed in the last few weeks. We realized that we like each other in a romantic sense."

"I'm happy for you.", I say before turning back to back to Elliot. "You can give us all the grief you want about having to check in, but speaking for me, I wouldn't change a thing." I open the front door and head to the bedroom that I'm sharing with Elliot for the weekend. Sitting down on my single bed, I dial Ana.

"As soon as my phone started ringing I knew it had to be you.", she giggles. "Are you having fun yet?"

"We haven't really done anything besides unpack. We're going to go and get a little bit of fishing in before it gets dark." I hear Spencer laughing from the other end. "It sounds like you all are having a nice time."

"Oh we're having _lots_ of fun. Most of it is thanks to our son who has everyone under his spell."

"Of course." Elliot appears in the doorway and starts pointing to his watch. "Baby, I've got to go. I'll call you later but will text you any photos of the fish I catch. Give Jamison a big kiss from. I love you."

"We love you. Bye."

* * *

**A POV**

Christian and I end our call just as Grace, Mia, and Mary end their phone conversations with their guys. Spencer's still laughing at Jamison, but her laughter seems forced.

"Carrick said they're about to head out for some fishing.", Grace says.

"Yeah. I'm not sure how how much they'll be able to get in today, but they'll probably get up pretty early in the morning."

"They're going to have difficult time waking Elliot up.", Spencer sighs. "During the week, he has no problem waking up early, but the weekend is a different story. A few months ago, I wanted to go to the farmers market. Even though getting there early is important, Elliot didn't agree. I tried over an hour to wake him until I gave up and went on my own. Then he had the nerve to get upset when I got back, telling me I should've have waited on him. Give me a break."

"Surprisingly, he was awake early last weekend. He even woke up before Carrick and I. There was breakfast on the table. We thought we had stepped into some sort of alternate universe.", Grace says while handing Jamison his baby keys.

"He cooked for you?", Spencer asks.

"And it was edible. The other day he cleaned the house."

"It's nice to know he's doing things now that he wouldn't do when we were together. Maybe he can put his new skills to use when he moves into own place."

"What's this about you helping him find a place?", Mia asks.

"I simply told him that I know a place he might like. Call it a friend helping a friend, nothing more."

"Since you two are only friends, would you mind him going out with another woman?"

"Another woman?" Spencer curls her feet underneath her and stares at the photos lined up on the wall in front of her. "He's been a date?"

"Not yet, but he joined Ben and I for dinner the other night, and this girl at the bar kept staring at him. Midway through the meal, she got up and strutted over to our table, saying that she might come across as being forward, but she couldn't help it. She found him extremely attractive."

"The chick just walked over like that, not caring if he might have a girlfriend? That's a little strong." Spencer looks at all of us and waves her hand. "Don't you all agree?"

"Of course.", Mary replies in what I suspect is her way of trying to make Spencer feel better.

"Definitely.", I say as Jamison pouts for me to pick him up. I scoop him up.

"I thought so as well, but she asked Elliot if he's single. After he said yes, she gave him her number. I think her name was Mindy or something like that.", Mia shrugs. "He said he might call her."

"Good for him. He should move on and find love. I mean I'm planning on doing the same. In fact, I've got a date with a guy from work."

"Garrett?", I ask. "I thought you turned him down."

"I did at first. Then I changed my mind. We're going out for sushi next week. Elliot never liked sushi which I love. Garrett also loves sushi, one more thing we have in common."

"What else do you have in common?", Mary asks. "Sorry."

"It's fine. We both like our jobs at Neiman Marcus. He has a dog. I love dogs."

"Elliot likes dogs.", Grace points out.

"That's one small thing we had in common. You can't build a relationship on just the mutual love for dogs. There has to be more to it. I'm going to go and get some water. Does anyone need anything?"

"I could use some water as well.", I reply as I get up. "Jamison, do you want to go to Mary while I go and get some water?" Mary happily takes him from me. I follow Spencer into the kitchen and wait while she pours her water.

"Do you want me to pour yours?"

"I lied. I don't need any. I only came in here to talk. Where you telling the truth about Garrett?"

"Not entirely. I did tell him no, but now I'm thinking maybe I should say yes. Elliot's going on a date with Mindy." The name Mindy bitterly rolls off her tongue.

"He told Mia he might call Mindy. That doesn't mean he's actually going to call her. You want to know what I think? I think you're getting worked up over the idea of him going out with someone new because you still want to be with him."

"If he goes out with her or anyone else, he might fall for her. If he falls for her, that would close any door we have of ever getting back together.", she sniffles while sitting down at the table. Her face is soon splashed with tears. I grab a paper towel and hand it to her. "This is the first time I've cried since it ended. I've been holding it in. Now it feels like I'm never going to be able to stop."

"You shouldn't hold your emotions in. Bottling them up will only make things worse."

* * *

**C POV**

"Here it comes!", Charles shouts. He steps back and reels in his second catch of the day.

"That's a fine looking trout.", Ray compliments him. "It looks to be around twelve pounds."

"Good job Charles.", I tell him. I lean back in my fold up chair and look over at Elliot and Ben who are still trying to get their first catch. "Any luck over there?"

"Dude, you're supposed to be quiet.", Elliot hisses. "When are you going to get back over here?"

"Soon. I'm just trying to let you catch up with the four fish I caught."

"Elliot, are you ok? Your mind seems to be elsewhere today.", my dad says. Elliot sets his reel down and walks over to where we're seated.

"I didn't sleep well last night. No offense to Ben's family, but my bed wasn't very comfortable." Ben shakes his head and also places his reel on to the ground. He grabs a bottled water and sits down in the chair next to my dad.

"I don't think the bed was the problem.", Ben says. "Something or should I say someone else was keeping you awake. You were thinking about Spencer and that guy from her work." Ana told me that Spencer's co-worker Garrett had asked her out, but Spencer had turned him down. "It's bothering you that she's going out with him."

"Spencer's going out with that Garrett guy? I thought she turned him down.", I mutter. Elliot quickly turns his attention to me, and I know we're about to have trouble. "Before you ask why I didn't say anything to you, hear me out. Spencer told Ana the guy asked her out, but she turned him down."

"That's what Spencer told Mia last night.", Ben adds. "But she evidently changed her mind and is now going out with him next week."

"For sushi.", Elliot scoffs. "The one food I don't like. I can see it now. They're going to stare into each other's eyes and instantly fall in love. Then they're going to get engaged and have sushi at their wedding reception. They'll live happily ever after."

"You think all of that's going to happen?", Charles asks.

"I think you're thinking way ahead of things. One date doesn't mean anything.", Ray assures Elliot.

"I can't believe she's going on a date so soon. I had a chance to go out with a girl named Mindy. She handed me her number while I was having with dinner with Mia and Ben. I shoved it in my pocket but threw it out as soon as I got home."

"Elliot, you know your mother and I love you very much and that we want only the best for you.", my dad says. "And with that, I'm going to tell you that you're a fool. You and Spencer are both fools. The two of you claim you tried, but I don't think you actually did. You've done nothing but wallow since you broke up. What does that tell me? You're miserable. Why are you miserable? You miss Spencer. I haven't talked to her, but I have a feeling she misses you too."

"We were together for a while. Missing each other is going to be a given. It'll get easier though, right?"

"Maybe.", Charles answers. "Maybe not. Elliot, I let Ella go and have regretted every single day. If only there had been more communication, things would've been different. Regret is a bitch. It'll eat you up." It's clear from the expression on his face that Elliot's letting Charles's words sink in. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone, staring at it while everyone waits to see what he's going to do. He types out a text and then puts the phone back away.

"I texted Spencer."

"What did you text her?", I ask.

"Hi.", he murmurs.

"You've got to start somewhere."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"Good for you. What did Spencer text back?" Elliot's eyes haven't moved from his phone screen for one second following the "Hi" text he sent Spencer. "Elliot, what did Spencer say in return?"

"Nothing.", he mumbles. "She didn't text back."

"Maybe she's busy.", Ben suggests. "I'm sure she'll text back soon."

"Or maybe not. She might have decided to have her date with Garrett earlier. If so, then that's great. She should move on and find someone who makes her happy."

"I'm lost. Just a few minutes ago, you sounded like a sullen child while going on about Garrett and Mia. Why are you suddenly in support of them?", my dad asks. Elliot rubs his eyes and shrugs his shoulders.

"You said it yourself Dad, I'm a fool. I let Spencer slip through my fingers." My dad gets out of his chair and walks over to Elliot, shaking his head before slapping him on the back of the head. The hit wasn't hard, but Elliot is shocked. "What the hell was that for!?"

"I love NCIS, and Gibbs always does that to DiNozzo when he wants to get some sense in him. I figured it might work here. While I did say you're a fool, you don't have to be. You can change things. It's in your hands."

"No I can't. It's too late."

"It's not yet, but it will be if you keep moping around and doing nothing. Be proactive. Make a move.", I tell him.

"I don't feel like talking about this anymore. I'm going to head back to the house and take a nap. Wake me when you get back so I start getting my things packed."

"How about I join you?", I ask, not wanting him to be isolated in his state.

"You stay here. I just need to be alone. Laters."

"I'm going to call Ana to see if she's talked to Spencer, and if so, try to find out what Spencer has said to her about Elliot. I find it hard to believe that Spencer would be intentionally avoiding Elliot's text." I get out of my chair and head a few feet down the bank. Unlocking my phone, my heart rate accelerates at the photo on the screen. It's one I took of Ana a few weeks ago. She's giving a giggling Jamison while both pairs of blue eyes are staring ahead. On the second ring, I hear her pick up.

"Hey.", she anwers.

"Hi. I was going to call before we headed out fishing, but it was still early."

"It's fine. How many fish have you caught so far?"

"Only four.", I laugh. "I stopped for a while to try and let the others catch up with me. I might pick up the reel one more time before we leave. How are things going there?"

"All's well here. It was fun having all the gals over last night."

"How was Spencer last night?", I ask as I look out over the water.

"She was ok." Ana sounds reluctant to tell me more. "Why do you ask?"

"Ben talked to Mia who told him that Spencer's going out on a date with Garrett from work. I thought she told him no. Has she changed her mind?"

"No although she brought up the idea of saying yes to him after finding out that Elliot might be going out with some girl he met while out to dinner with Mia and Ben. She was pretty down about that."

"Elliot told us about the girl who gave him her number, a number which she threw away." The more Ana and I talk, the more things start to fall into place. Spencer heard about the girl from Mia who told Ben about Spencer deciding to go out with Garrett. "Am I talking to myself right now?"

"Sorry baby. I was coming to the realization that Mia more set things up so Elliot and Spencer would get upset over the other going out with someone else. After which, they would go running back to each other. It's probably some idea she saw in a movie or read in a book."

"Hmm. That does sound like something Mia would do.", Ana replies. "With the best of intentions of course."

"The good news is Elliot texted Spencer after we started helping him get back on track."

"Oh. That's good." I keep the phone to my ear while tossing a pebble into the water. "What did he text?"

"Hi.", I answer. "It was a one word text meant to serve as an opening to a deep conversation. The problem is Spencer didn't text back, and now Elliot's worried she's went through with the date. I don't think that's the case."

"I can call Spencer to try and find out more." I hear Jamison whining on the other side of the call. "Hold on a second little man."

"He's hungry?"

"Yeah. I'm going to hang up and feed him, but I'll call you back with what I find out with Spencer. We love you."

"I love you guys too. Bye."

* * *

**A POV**

"Spencer, it's me. Call me when you get this." I hang up the phone and hope that she'll call me back soon. She didn't respond to Elliot's text or answer my call, and that's unusual for her. I pray that she didn't do something stupid like call Garrett. I creep into the nursery to check on Jamison. Seeing that he's sleeping peacefully in his crib, I gently brush my finger along the side of his cherubic face. "Sleep tight.", I whisper before going out of the room. Just as I get to the door of the master bedroom, my phone rings. I quickly pull it from my pocket so the noise won't wake the baby. I breathe a sigh a of relief over seeing Spencer's name. "Thank goodness it's you."

"Hi to you too.", she says. "You sounded urgent in your message. What's up?"

"What's up is you need to call Elliot. Christian said Elliot texted you hi, but you hadn't texted back." I open the bedroom door and sit down on my side of the bed.

"I got his message and have been meaning to get back to him, but I got busy cleaning. You would think the place would be much cleaner with Elliot gone."

"I also found out that Elliot doesn't plan on going out with the girl whose number he got, but Elliot was told you were going out with Garrett."

"Where did he hear that from?", she hisses.

"Mia apparently told Ben who told Elliot. Christian thinks Mia did it as a way of helping you and Elliot see the error your ways."

"I swear she watches too many romantic comedies."

"That's where Christian thinks she got the idea. What you need to do now that you know the truth is call Elliot."

"Ana, it's not that I don't want to talk to him. It's just...", she stammers. "I'm scared."

"Why are you scared Spencer? It's Elliot. You've talked millions of times."

"As a couple, we would start off talking and then end up arguing. What if as friends the same thing happens? Losing him as a boyfriend hurt, but at least having him as a friend meant still having him in my life."

"I understand your fear, but you need to stop being so afraid and start communicating."

* * *

"Excuse the mess.", April murmurs when Jamison and I arrive at her and Bryce's. After talking to Spencer, I decided to go and see the new parents. A few burp clothes and blankets cover the sofa.

"It's not a mess. It's the house of new parents. Where is Bryce?"

"Right here.", Bryce answers as he comes into the living room with Alex in his arms. "I was on diaper duty." He moves to where I'm sitting with Jamison and leans so Jamison can get a better look at the newborn. "Alex, say hi to Jamison." Bryce sits down in the recliner with Alex. "Are the guys still gone fishing?"

"Yeah. They're supposed to be back later tonight."

"I told Bryce he could go with them if he wanted, but he said no.", April says.

"I'd rather be here with you and our son.", Bryce tells her. "My fiancé and our son." I snap my head to April and see the ring on her ring finger. She sees me looking at it and nods.

"Fiance? When did that happen?", I ask.

"Last night. I had just gotten out of the shower I had been needing all day. Bryce had been in the bedroom with Alex before I went into the bathroom, but neither of them were in there. I found them in the living room which was covered with roses. Bryce had a shirt on that said **Will You Marry Me?, **and Alex had a onesie with the words **Will You Marry My Daddy?**. Bryce could barely get the words out because I kept saying yes."

"It was magical.", Bryce grins.

"He even got Uncle Jason's blessing."

"I was more nervous about that than the actual proposal, but it all worked out in the end."

"Congratulations guys. I'm so happy for you. Jamison's happy for you as well." Jamison starts grinning and jabbering. "See. He's saying congrats."

"Thank you Ana and Jamison."

* * *

"I'm happy for April and Bryce. They're going to have a long and happy marriage.", Spencer says. "Just like you and Christian." I arrived home from April and Bryce's and found her waiting on me in the driveway.

"And maybe you and Elliot. Did you text or call him back?"

"I did. I texted him that I was sorry for not getting back to him sooner, and that I hoped he was having a nice time fishing. He immediately texted back that they were about to leave."

"They should be home soon. Once they get back, the two of you should have talk face to face. Enough with the texting." I hear the sound of car doors slamming. "I bet that's Christian." The door opens and in walks Christian with Elliot behind him. "Oh look. Elliot's here." Christian drops his suitcase down and walks over to where I'm sitting. "Hi." Our lips entwine while Elliot and Spencer look on. "Where's Charles?"

"We dropped him off at the airport. Ryan's going to drive Elliot home in a little bit unless of Spencer wants to drive him."

"Is this a set up?", Spencer asks me. "Did you tell Christian ahead of time that I was here?" I remain silent. "When you went upstairs to put Jamison down, you called and told Christian that I was here. He then told Elliot." She turns to Elliot who's standing awkwardly with his hands in his pockets. "Is that why you came here?"

"It is. I needed to see you. I've got a question for you. Do you love me?"

"You know I do. I love you, and I'm in love with you."

"Good. I'm so in love with you. You infuriate me like no one else has ever done. You push my buttons and piss me off, but despite all that, I'm still in love with you. I don't see that ending anytime soon."

"Well you're not the easiest person to get along with yourself.", Spencer scoffs. "You have the tendency to be immature and messy. You never seem to be listening to me. Still, I'm in love with you."

"We were on our way back when Ben turned on the radio. There was this song from Jack Savoretti. It was called "Hate and Love". One of the lines goes something like, "Sunshine and rain make a beautiful thing." Spencer, we have our differences, and we argue. I won't deny that just like I won't deny how I miss you. I miss us and not in the friend sense."

"I miss us too. I'm just scared that we'll get back together and slip into our old ways."

"It won't happen if we don't let it. We need to be in control of things. The best way to start is being open and honest with each other about our feelings." Elliot pushes a strand of hair from her face as a hint of a smile goes to her face. "I would like to go back to the apartment to talk. Would you like that?"

"I'd like that.", she murmurs.

"Ok. Christian, Ana, thank you for all you've done."

"You're welcome.", Christian says. "Now go and talk." We wave at them as the walk out of the house.

"It's going to take some time, but they're going to be all right."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"There's one of the favorite guys in the world." Maxie sprints from the design school's library and towards the bench where I'm sitting with Jamison's stroller. She playfully shakes his hand, stirring giggles from him. "Hello sir."

"Why do you sound so down?", I ask. She falls back in the empty spot on the bench.

"Take your pick between school and guy trouble. I'm convinced my Color Theory Two instructor hates me, and I have no idea why. I go to class and do my work, yet it seems that's not good enough. He continuously calls on me like he's trying to prove a point to the other students."

"Maybe he knows you'll have the answer to his question."

"I've thought about that. It just gets tiresome though, being the only one called on.", she mumbles. "Then there's the ever present guy trouble. My mom decided to take it upon herself to fix me up with a coworker's stepson. How terrible is that?" She opens her bag and pulls out a pack of gum, shoving two pieces of gum at the same time into her mouth. "I've found chewing gum helps when I get anxious."

"When's the date?"

"Tomorrow night, meaning I have a little more time to come up with an excuse. I'm looking a little pale, don't you think?" She emits a few fake coughs. "Yes I believe I'm getting sick."

"There's an even better way of getting out of the date.", I say while pulling Jamison's blanket back up on him after he kicked it off. "Tell your mom you appreciate her wanting to help you but you can find a guy on your own."

"I can't.", she mumbles. "The problem is I can't find a guy on my own." She stops and seems to reflect on what she's just said. "Technically I can find a guy on my own although he unusually ends up being a loser."

"Could it be your mom has non-loser radar? She knows you and your personality so she might very well could have used that knowledge in finding your potential soul mate. I've never met her, but I'm sure she wouldn't purposely set you up with someone she didn't think was right for you."

"You could be on to something. I will say this, my love life may not be perfect, but it could be worse. Take Candace's for instant. Have you talked to her since her date with Cameron, the guy she met at the post office?" Candace called last week and informed me she had met a cute guy at the post office. After spending several minutes talking, they finally exchanged numbers to make plans for a date which was supposed to take place this past weekend.

"I meant to call her but got busy. Was it that bad?" Footsteps hits the pavement behind us. I look over my shoulder and find Candace heading towards us. "Perhaps she'll tell me herself."

"You told her about my epic fail of a date.", Candace groans. She kicks a few small rocks in front of her and then sits on the other end of the bench. "Ana, it was the worst."

"I was about to tell her. However, since you're here, you can do the honors.", Maxie replies.

"Gee thanks." Candace glances at Sawyer and Bryce who are stationed behind the bench. "Please refrain from your laughter until I finish recounting the horrible, horrible night. Ok. I was pumped for the date. I went and bought a new dress and then straightened my hair which took forever. He picked me up promptly at seven, took me to a nice dinner where we had a nice conversation. It was going well...until he took me home. I invited in for some coffee. We sat in the kitchen and carried on another lovely conversation until I accidentally spilled coffee on my dress. I hated leaving him in there all alone, but I needed to change so I dashed out of the room."

"Up until the coffee mishap, you were having a good evening. How can it go downhill from there?", I ask.

"I'm getting there. I went into the bedroom and changed into a low-cut blouse and jeans. I went back into the kitchen and found him shoving forks and spoons into the pockets of his pants. I not so nicely asked what he was doing. His answer, "I just moved out of my parents' and don't have a lot of eating utensils." Despite her request for Sawyer and Bryce to hold back their amusement, they start laughing uncontrollably. "Ha ha. Laugh all you want."

"We're sorry.", Sawyer tells her while struggling to get a straight face. "What kind of a guy does that? Why doesn't he just go and buy utensils instead of stealing them from his date?"

"Or get plastic ones like I used to use before I started dating April.", Bryce shrugs. Candace, Maxie, and I look at him in utter disbelief. "I was a bachelor who lived on take out most of the time. Give me a break."

"Dude, even I had actual silverware."

"Uh, do you want me to finish the story or not?", Candace asks Sawyer and Bryce during a break in their banter. "Cameron made it seem like it wasn't a big deal. I told him he should leave and lose my number. He tried to say we had something special that shouldn't end because of one silly thing. It starts off with forks and spoons and ends up being larger items. I did the right thing."

"You certainly did. I wouldn't have given him another chance either.", Maxie says. "A guy stealing from me is a hell no although I did have a guy take a pair of my panties once."

"Oh now this is about to get interesting. Spill.", I order her as Jamison stares at her. "Maybe I should cover your ears baby boy."

"It was in the summer after I graduated high school. My boyfriend and I had been together for about six months and were hopelessly in love. He came over one day and was sitting in my bed with me while I folded some laundry. He picked up a pair of panties and asked if he could have them. I was shocked. He said he wanted them to remind him of me. I told him he was being sweet, but he couldn't have them. I assumed the topic was over until I was sitting in my room after he left. I had this gut feeling he had taken them. After calling and confronting him, I got confirmation. Again, he claimed he took them as way to remind him of me. I didn't break up with him at that moment, but things weren't the same afterwards. He had already violated my trust so what else could he do. We split up about a month later."

"Once that trust is broken, it's hard to get it back.", I say. "Candace, I'm sorry about what happened. You'll meet the right guy. I've still had a good time catching up with the two of you."

* * *

"What's for dinner?" I swirl around and see Christian leaning against the counter. He moves closer to me and the oven, sniffing the air around him. "It smells like lasagna. Am I right?" Nancy's brother-in-law is celebrating his birthday tonight, and I insisted that she join the party while I handled dinner.

"Yep." I nod at Jamison who's watching from his high chair. "Jamison's helping." Christian makes a silly face as he bends to kiss Jamison's cheek.

"You've been helping Mommy?" I notice Christian's eyes land on the trash can which has the lid off. His mouth expands into a sly grin. "What's that?"

"It's a garbage can. It's where one tends to throw away garbage. Honestly Christian I would've thought you knew that.", I smirk.

"Your mommy is a comedian Jamison.", Christian sighs. "I mean what's that box in the garbage can? It looks like a frozen lasagna box."

"Because it is a frozen lasagna box. I was planning to make it from scratch, but after Jamison and I got home from visiting Candace and Maxie, I realized I still had a homework assignment to do. I got him down for his nap and sat down to do my work. Once I had it done and sent, I got an email for an essay which I wen ahead and started. Time got away from me so I sent Bryce to pick up one a frozen lasagna at the store. Are you upset?"

"Why would I be upset?"

"Because you might have been expecting a nice dinner cooked from scratch." He opens the fridge and pulls out the bowl of sliced carrots I prepared. He offers me one, but I shake my head.

"Ana, I'm not upset. I've had frozen lasagna before and loved it." He takes a quick bite of a carrot and then kisses my forehead. "I'm proud of you. You're not going to classes on campus, but you're still staying up to date with your work in addition to taking care of the baby."

"I've had a few moments where I've thought about just dropping the schooling all together."

"I won't let you do that. I understand your desire to continue your classes online, but I won't stand by and watch you give up something you want to do."

"I'm not going to quit.", I assure him. "I plan on sticking to it till the end. I was merely saying I get stressed and frustrated. I get over it."

"Good. For future reference, I have the perfect way to get over your stress and frustration." His arms are around me as he traps me against the counter. Jamison's jabbering brings us back to reality. "Daddy was only talking to Mommy.", Christian tells the baby.

"We don't want to traumatize him."

* * *

**C POV**

"If it isn't my lovely trouble making sister." I stand and hug Mia after she arrives at Till The Last Drop, a new coffee place near my office.

"Why did you call me trouble making?", she asks.

"Maybe trouble making is the wrong word, but I believe you know why I called you that. The little lies you concocted about Elliot and Spencer each going out on dates with other people." The waitress comes over and starts to hand us menus, but I hold my hand up. "I'm going to have a large coffee, no creamer and with two sugars."

"I'll have a large latte.", Mia tells the woman.

"This is the easiest order I've had all day.", the waitress says. "I'll be right back." She goes to start working on our beverages.

"My intentions were in the right place, but my methods weren't the best. I called and apologized to both Elliot and Spencer. They were upset but also understood where I was coming from."

"It could have backfired and ended up making things worse.", I tell her. Our cups are placed in front of us. "Thank you."

"Yeah thanks.", Mia murmurs, picking up her spoon. "I shouldn't have done it. Elliot told me he and Spencer are going to start couples therapy. It was actually his idea."

"Spencer told Ana about it. I think it'll be good for them. They have issues to get through but are good together." I observe her as she takes the first sip of her latte. "How is it?"

"Yummy. What was my adorable nephew doing when you left this morning?"

"He was crawling and getting into things, his new favorite hobby."

"Have you and Ana talked about more kids?", she asks, bringing my first attempt at drinking my coffee to a standstill. "There I go interfering again. You and Ana are so incredible with Jamison. Ignore my question."

"When Ana and I have more children will be a decision we'll make together. It won't involve the opinion of others." Even though I'm trying to be serious with Mia, I feel myself smiling at the thought of one day having more kids with Ana.

"And it should be your decision. I've got to stop my diarrhea of the mouth."

"It's an interesting name for it, but I agree. You need to focus on your life and not worry so much about others. Concentrate on you and Ben. Things are good with the two of you?"

"They're wonderful. Ben's incredible. I think my problem is I want a life where there's nothing but happiness."

"I like that, but unfortunately life isn't an easy road. There's going to be bumps and detours, but you have to faith things will fall into place like they should."

"You're right."

* * *

"Mia asked me during our coffee meeting whether you and I have discussed more kids?" Rubbing the last of her lavender lotion on her arms, she pads to the bed where I've been going over some contracts. "I told her it was between us."

"Good answer.", she says after getting in beside me. "It's something we'll decide together."

"But the only talk we've had about other kids is that we want more at some point." She grabs and starts fluffing her pillow. "Well?"

"This is a conversation you want to have right now, just before we go to sleep? Did something happen?"

"Nothing happened Ana. We don't have to talk about it now."

"I want to wait until Jamison's a little older, and I'd also like to be done with my schooling. There shouldn't be a rush since neither of us are going anywhere. You're not going somewhere, are you?", she asks.

"I'm here to stay. I agree with the waiting. Your schooling is important.", I say while reaching to turn off the lamp.

"Not as important as you and Jamison." Her body slinks down in the bed with her legs wrapping around mine. She then catches me off by guard by moving on top me. Her right hand moves down and inside my boxers where she starts running her hand over my hardened cock. "How about we do something about this?" She pulls her pajama shirt over her head, exposing her perfect breasts.

"Why Mrs. Grey, you're a little minx.", I whisper.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"Christian, come on in." Ray moves from the front door so I can enter his house. I find myself standing in the middle of the living room, puzzled about why he called and asked me to drop by. "Sit down." I sit down on the edge of the sofa as he sits down in his recliner. "You're wondering why I asked you here?"

"I always like seeing you, but I was a little surprised when you called me. Ray, is everything ok?"

"I'm sorry for making you think the worst when I called. The nature of my asking you to come by is actually good. Mary and I have yet to set a wedding date, but we're starting to go over some of the plans. One of the first things I wanted to do was choose my best man. I'd like that to be you."

"You want me to be your best man?"

"If you want to be. When Ana first met you, I underestimated how important of a role you would end up playing in my own life. You've been there for me when I needed to talk or ask for advice. I can count on you." I smile at his words. "Well?"

"Ray, I'd be honored to be your best man. I was nervous when we first met. There I was dating your daughter, but you welcomed me into your family. The being there goes both ways. Your words of wisdom have been key." A lightbulb goes off in my head. "With you just now starting to make plans, is it safe to assume you haven't found a location yet?"

"We haven't. There are a few places we've discussed but nothing has jumped out at us."

"Why don't you guys get married at our house?", I ask, catching him by surprise. "We've got plenty of space."

"Thank you for you offer, but the last thing Mary and I want is to be an inconvenience to you and Ana. I'm sure we'll find a suitable place." I rest my hands on my knees and lock eyes with him. "You're not letting to take a simple no."

"Not yet. At least discuss it with Mary. Find out how she feels about the idea, and then you can give me a simple yes _or_ no." His recliner rocks back a little as he ponders my suggestion.

"I'll talk it over with Mary when she gets home this evening, and I get back with you on what we decide. Oh, where is my head. We have decided on another piece of the ceremony, the ring bearer. Mary and I would like to have Jamison to do it if it's ok with you and Ana. One of you could walk with him down the aisle or even pull him in a wagon." Visualizing Jamison dressed up in a suit or tux brings a surge of giddiness to my face. Yes I said giddiness. Being a husband and father will do that to you.

"I'll mention it to Ana, but it's almost a given that she'll agree. Jamison will look so adorable."

* * *

"What's wrong?", Taylor asks. He and I were heading up the walkway to the house when I heard clapping, loud clapping echoing from the house.

"Did you hear the clapping?" He takes a hurried glimpse at the house. "You had to have heard it."

"I heard something, but I'm sure there's a logical explanation behind it." He leads to the house and front door. The sound seemingly comes to a halt the second he turns the doorknob. In the foyer, we're greeted by Ana who sprints from the living room.

"Good evening.", she says in an awkward sound. "Taylor, Gail and Riley are in the living room with Jamison." Taylor nods and goes to join them. Ana's lips greet mine in a slow kiss. When she pulls away, I continue getting the feeling something is going is going on. "How was work?"

"Work was work.", I shrug. "Your dad called and asked if I could stop by on my way home. He wanted to talk to you." Her face falls. "Baby, it wasn't anything bad. He wanted to ask if I would be his best man in the wedding. I said yes." She grabs my hand and walks beside me into the living room. Taylor has Riley snuggled against his chest while Gail is watching Jamison from one of the chairs. I stand by the doorway and admire Jamison as he goes about his playing. He eventually looks my way and grins. "Hey little man." In the corner of my eye, I notice Ana and Gail sharing glancing at each other. "What's going on here?"

"Huh? Why do you think something is going on?", Ana scoffs.

"I heard clapping before we came inside the house. Add that to the weirdness you're reflecting, and I know something is up." Once again, Ana and Gail's eyes meet. "The looks you and Gail between you and Gail aren't helping your case."

"I have news.", Ana murmurs, dropping my hand on her way to the sofa. "You know how Jamison has been pulling himself up and holding on to the furniture?" I smile at the memory of the first day he pulled his tiny body up and held on to the sofa.. He had only been crawling a few days, but I told Ana he was on his way to walking. Even though he's continued the pulling up, he's yet to take a step.

"He walked, didn't he?", I ask although I know the obvious answer. I had hoped to share the memory of him taking his first steps. _Not happening_.

"He took two two steps and fell. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. He'll take more steps." I try to brush it off, but it's useless. I missed a milestone in my son's life.

"They were very small steps.", Gail says. It's clear she's trying to make me feel better. I bend my knees and hold my hands out to Jamison. He crawls to me and tucks his lower lips under his upper one. I pick him and start kissing his cheeks and then forehead.

"It's ok.", I tell them. My words are honest. "Do I wish I could have been here to see him? Yes. But I know there will be more milestones to come. Incidentally, Ray asked me about what could be another milestone. He and Mary would like Jamison to be the ring bearer. He said one of us could carry him down the aisle or perhaps pull him in a wagon. It's very possible Jamison can walk down the aisle."

"I'm going to cry just thinking about how cute he's going to be."

"I instantly started picturing it the second Ray asked. A wedding is supposed to be about the couple saying "I do". What if Jamison upstages them?", I joke.

* * *

**A POV **

"How do I look?" Spencer puts on a pair of oversized round black sunglasses and places her hands on her hips.

"Very stylish." We're enjoying a day of shopping at the Bellevue Center. She hands me a pair similar to hers except these have smaller frames. I roll my eyes and slide them but hold off on the hands on the hips move she demonstrated. "Well?"

"You look like one hot momma.", she giggles. I put my pair back on the rack while she keeps hers. "You should get them. Jamison, tell your mommy she needs to get those sunglasses. They look great on you." I put the glasses back on and look down at Jamison. He's more interested in chewing on his fingers. To appease her, I keep the glasses.

"When's your first therapy session?", I ask while we resume browsing.

"It was last night. We weren't suppose to go until tomorrow night, but the therapist had an opening and called to see we would be interested in going. For it to be the first session, it went well. Elliot and I still have things to work on, but progress is being made. How's your school work going?"

"I'm seriously considering dropping my courses...again. Only this time it'll be for good."

"What?" I'm looking directly at Spencer who didn't say a word. Spinning around, I see Maxie standing in front of me with a black dress in her hands. "You're dropping out?" She moves her head around me. "By the way, hi Spencer."

"Hey Maxie.", Spencer waves. "Ana, not to put you on the spot but share with us why you're considering dropping out."

"I've been doing well with my classes, but I don't think it's what I want anymore. The passion I once had for it is gone. Christian started talking the other night about more kids, and I gave him this speech about wanting to wait until I was done with school. I was lying through my teeth. I don't want to wait until I'm done with school because I don't want to finish school.", I groan.

"Why didn't you tell him that?", Maxie asks. She picks up a pair of black stiletto heels. "Do you think these would look good with this dress?"

"Definitely.", I answer. "Anyways, Christian's been supportive of me going to school. I see pride in his eyes when I tell him about my schoolwork. I feel like quitting will change that pride into disappointment."

"Ana, Ana, Ana.", Spencer mutters. "Your happiness is what Christian wants. He doesn't care whether that happiness comes from school or from being a mom. He's going to be proud of you no matter what you do, and that's all because of a four little word called love." Jamison coos from his stroller at the last word. "You tell her."

"I'll give it some more thought. Maxie, you're buying a new dress and heels. Could it that your blind date turned out ok?" She fiddles with the tag on the dress briefly and shrugs.

"It may have gone better than I had imagined it would.", she replies. "His name is Cooper, and he's a software developer. He loves animals and does woodwork in his spare time. He's also very good looking."

"Her mom set her up on a blind date.", I fill in Spencer. "A blind date Maxie was hesitant about going on at first."

"I can honestly say I've never been on a blind date.", Spencer says. "However, I've heard of many long lasting marriages that began with a blind date."

"Although we're not going to start planning that far ahead, I'm going out with him again tonight. This time I'm actually going to put some effort into what I'm wearing." I raise a brow at her. "I kind of wore the worst dress in my wardrobe since I wasn't anticipating the date to go well."

"You tried to sabotage the date?", Sawyer laughs. "Priceless." Daggers shoot from Maxie's eyes and on to him, causing him to hold his hand up in defeat. "I'm sorry."

"You're forgiven."

* * *

"Have you got a minute?", Christian's sitting on the sofa with a mound of paperwork on the coffee table in front of him. He was going to work in the study but wanted to stay in the living room with Jamison in case the baby decided to take more steps. He insisted he could keep an eye on Jamison and still get his work done while I took a shower.

"For you, I've got a lifetime." He pats the cushion next to me.

"Same goes for me even though I only need a little time to discuss something with you." I sit down and try to gather my senses.

"You're acting odd again. Are you about to tell me that Jamison took more steps today?"

"He didn't.", I laugh. "I stood in front of the bathroom mirror and practiced what I was going to say, but I can't even remember it now. I'm just going to come out and say it. Christian, I want to quit school."

"Why?"

"My heart isn't in it any more, and the last thing I want to do is spend my time doing something I don't want to do. You're probably upset and disappointed, but I can't go on pretending."

"But what about what you said the other night? You sounded confident with your words.", he says.

"I was worried about telling you the truth.", I murmur.

"You shouldn't have been afraid. I only want you to what's best for you. If you don't want to continue with school, don't. It's fine with me." I slide closer to him and kiss his cheek.

"Another tidbit, I want to start planning for another baby." The shock I thought he was going to display over the school issue is now on his face. "We've done a great job with Jamison."

"We have.", he says as we see that Jamison has moved in front of the sofa. He pulls himself up and giggles before...taking taking an unsteady step. "Are my eyes playing tricks on me?"

"You're seeing it."

"Jamison, you took a step." Jamison appears to sway like he's going to fall, but he wobbles into another step. "And another. I didn't miss it this time. I saw it. Ana, I saw him walk."

"You sure did."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"There he goes." My dad is memorized from his spot on the sofa where he's watching Jamison walk. Each step is accompanied by a sweet giggle.

"I could see here and watch him all day.", Christian laughs. He's sitting in the floor with his arms out for Jamison. The baby toddled happily to him. Mary and I are enjoying the show from the doorway between the living room and the kitchen.

"How about some coffee?" After leading her into the kitchen, I start making a pot of coffee while Mary grabs our cups. "Christian's really excited about being Dad's best man."

"Ray's excited that Christian agreed. Also, thank you for offering the house for the ceremony." Last week, Christian told me he suggested to my dad that he and Mary get married at our house. After discussing it, they said yes.

"You're more than welcome. I'm available to help in any way. I can call florists for you. I also get in touch with some caterers."

"I do have one thing I need to ask of you. Ana, will you be my maid of honor?"

"Yes.", I reply. "I'd be honored. Thank you asking."

"I wouldn't want anyone else standing by me as I say my vows to your dad. You've always been like a daughter to me, even before I started dating Ray." Seeing the coffee is finished, I take one of the cups and fill it. I hand it to Mary and then fill the other cup. We take our coffee and sit down at the table. "We've been thinking of having the wedding in May. Considering that's only two months away, some may think there's not enough time to plan, but we want it to be small and intimate."

"Like I said, I'll do anything to help."

"How's school?", she asks. Besides worrying about Christian's reaction to me wanting to stop my schoolwork, I was also afraid how my dad would react. He's spoken several times about how proud he is of me furthering my education. It feels as if all the lights in the room have been replaced by a spotlight which is shining on me. I'm about to open my mouth when Jamison wobbles in the room. Christian and my dad are behind him with matching grins. I reach down and pull Jamison into my arms as I prepare to give my dad and Mary the school news.

"Funny you should ask.", I sigh.

"Ask about what?", my dad questions in confusion.

"Mary asked how school was going. I've decided to withdraw." Christian gives me a supportive wink.

"Sweetheart, I thought you wanted to go into interior design. You were excited about it."

"Was excited. The passion and enjoyment started slipping away little by little. I tried to tell myself it was only a phase that I'd get over, but it wasn't. Doing interior design was a dream at one point, but dreams change."

"I fully support whatever Ana wants to do.", Christian says.

"I hope I haven't disappointed with this news.", I tell my dad who is standing against the wall with his hands in his pockets. He pushes himself off the wall and moves next to me, wrapping his arms around my neck.

"I could never be disappointed in you. You make me proud every single day, and today is no exception."

* * *

"So...I was scheduled for my shot next week, but I called Dr. Greene and told her I'm not going to do it.", I say while changing Jamison diaper the following morning. I toss the baby wipe in the trash can and notice Christian is silent as he stands beside the changing table. "Jamison, I think Daddy's mind is somewhere else." My baby boy babbles and moves his head so he can see Christian.

"I'm sorry. You called Dr. Greene?"

"Yeah. I thought me not taking the shot was what we agreed upon the other night. If you've changed your mind, I can go ahead and get it. We can try for another baby down the road. It doesn't have to be now. I just thought it was what we both wanted."

"It is. I didn't mean to give you the impression that I don't." After handing me a fresh diaper, he sits down in one of the rocking chairs. "I had a voicemail on my phone this morning. It was from Susan Murphy. She wants me to call her."

"Did she say why?"

"Only that she has something important to tell me. She's called Charles several times, but this is the first time she's contacted me. I'm thinking she's hoping I'll be her messenger to him."

"You don't sound too certain."

"I can't put a finger on it, but her voice sounded odd. There was what sounded like a tinge of remorse added with some sadness. I'm probably reading into it too much.", he shrugs.

"The only way you'll have a definitive answer is if you call her back. Otherwise, those questions will remain." I finish changing Jamison and snap his onesie back. He wiggles in my arms with his own arms reaching for Christian. "Go Daddy." Christian's smile snaps back in place as I hand Jamison to him.

"Daddy needs some Jamison time before work."

* * *

**C POV**

"Mr. Grey, Ms. Bailey, if you'll look at the folder in front of you, you'll find graphs showing the breakdown of the costs and labor.", Vincent Garrison from OmniCorp tells Ros and I. We're discussing partnering up in a new metals factory.

"These aren't the numbers we discussed.", Ros points out. "They're nowhere near what we had agreed upon."

"Yes I understand that, but my team and I got to rethinking some of the figures. It just so happens one of my friends can get us some of the supplies at a lower cost."

"One of your friends, huh?", I murmur while taking notes. "Since you feel the numbers were too high, maybe Ms. Bailey and I should do research and find another supplier." Garrison doesn't seem pleased with my suggestion. "News flash, partnering up on a deal requires all parties to be involved with decision making. You can't just go out and get your buddy to help without considering the opinions of everyone else."

"I thought I was doing a favor for everyone. We get things cheaper, and he gets the work. You're making a mountain out of a mole hill.", he snaps.

"Mr. Grey is making a observation.", Ros replies. "One of the things neither of us ever do is make a rash business decision without talking it over with the other. You could have picked up the phone and called us, but instead you surprise us during what was supposes to be a meeting to finalize things."

"You're saying you want me to call my friend and tell him we don't need his help?"

"What we're saying is we're now going to go and look at other distributors, including your friend. If he's the best guy for the job, fine. If not, we move on. Are we clear?", I ask.

"Fine." He still doesn't sound too happy, but the bitter tone has gone down a bit. "I guess we have nothing else to discuss here today." He closes his files and stand, shaking our hands before going to the door. "I'll be in touch." Once he's gone, Ros starts gathering her things from the conference table.

"That guy's going to be difficult. I can feel it.", she tells me.

"I got that impression as well. I'm sure he thought we were going to let him run the entire thing. Oh, he got a rude awakening."

Ros heads to her office as I go towards mine. When I get to Andrea's desk, she's finishing up a call. I stand and wait to see if there are any messages. She places the phone back in the cradle and hands me the small pile of messages that came in while I was in my meeting.

"Mr. Grey, that was Edgar from the downstairs lobby. A woman by the name of Susan Murphy is insisting that she needs to see you. I told him I'd ask." The last person I want to talk to let alone see is Susan Murphy, but I also want to know why she traveled to Seattle to speak with me.

"Tell him to send her up." I stand and watch the elevator for any sign of the woman who cost Ella her happiness and ultimately her life. Minutes later, the door slides open. She slowly walks towards me. She appears to have lost weight and looks more fragile than the last time I saw her.

"Thank you for seeing me.", she says with what might be viewed by some as a smile, but I only see it as her being fake.

"I didn't return your call so you got on a plane and showed up?", I scoff.

"I was already in Seattle when I called you. Can we talk in private?" I lead her inside my head where she instantly sits down. "I normally would wait to be offered a seat, but I couldn't stand any longer." While I sit down, I notice she's staring at the photo of Jamison which rests on the wall behind my desk. "Is that your son?"

"Yes."

"How old is he?"

"Almost eleven months although that's more information than I should be sharing with you. Susan, tell me why you're in Seattle and more specifically here in my office."

"I've reached out to Charles numerous times over the past few months, but my attempts have fallen on deaf ears. I even traveled to New York two weeks ago, but I was told he was out of town." She's referring to the weekend Charles joined the guys on our fishing trip. "I suppose I could just give up which is what I was going to do, but life has a cruel sense of humor. I started a feeling unwell about a month ago. I was constantly tired and out of energy. I wasn't sure what going on so I went to my doctor who ordered some tests. They came back with some abnormalities. I was then sent to a specialist who after more tests diagnosed me with colon cancer. There had been no symptoms except for the exhaustion. It's stage three. I don't have much time left." What she's telling me could be a ploy to get me to feel sorry for her and then contact Charles for her, but it might be the truth.

"I'm sorry.", is all I can say.

"I have my medical records at my hotel in case you want to check up into what I've told you, but it's the truth. When I was given those dreaded words, I sat and thought about the life I've lived. I came from nothing. My parents struggled to put food on the table, something I vowed I would make sure I would never do. I was determined to be someone, and I was. I held the fanciest parties and wore the nicest clothes. I wanted the best for my son, but I saw Ella as nothing but a way to bring him down. In a way, she reminded me of myself, and that scared me. When you showed up at my house that day, all of the regrets I had kept locked away came rushing out. I put on a mask and blamed everyone but the one truly responsible, me. Internally, I hated myself. I still do. I have so many regrets which I don't expect to magically go away, but if I want to at least try."

"Susan, I'm sorry you're going through this, but I'm not sure I can help you."

"I understand. I'm sorry Christian. I'm deeply sorry for every single ounce of despair and pain I've caused."

* * *

"Christian, are you crying?", Ana asks. I'm sitting with my back to the door of my study, but the sound of my sniffling has given me away. She pads to my desk and grips the back of my chair so she can turn it around. "You have. What's going on?"

"I found out what Susan wanted to discuss with me. She came by my office today."

"She's in Seattle? What did she have to say?" Ana sits on the corner of my desk and swipes away some of my tears.

"She's dying.", I whisper in response. "I haven't seen her records, but I could in her face that he was telling the truth. She has stage three colon cancer and doesn't have much time left. She's trying to right some of her wrongs."

"Coming to you is one of those. How did that go?"

"I shouldn't be feeling sad or sympathetic towards her, but I do. I feel those things for the woman who ruined my birth mother's life. What does that say about me?"

"You're human. Even though she caused this huge domino effect, she's still a woman who is losing her life."

"One of the things she talked about was why she acted the way she did towards Ella. Apparently, Ella was like her before she became the wealthy wife and mother, and that scared her. I'm not going to embrace her."

"No one expects you to."

"And even though Ella was alone because of her, I feel bad that she's spending her last days alone. Fuck." Ana shifts closer to me, pressing her lips to mine in a kiss that becomes needy. I grip the nape of her neck and pull her off the desk. With one tug by my hands, her yoga pants and panties are off. Her body craves mine as much as mine desires hers. She goes for the zipper of my pants as I stand. I push both my pants and boxers to the floor just before setting her on the top of the desk. I slam into her and begin thrusting hard and deep. Her fingers tangle into my hair while I fuck her. Her legs wrap around my body, pressing me even deeper inside her.

"Christian.", she moans with her orgasm near. "Oh. Fuck me."

"I am baby. I'm fucking you so hard.", I growl. She throws her head back in ecstasy at her release. My grinding into her continues until I spill my seed into her.

"That was um...very nice.", she giggles.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"I was hoping all the sex we had would wear you out." Christian exhales a slight chuckle at my teasing. I stride into the kitchen, my hand grazing his on my way to the chair across from his at the table. "Do you want to tell me why you're awake at four a.m?"

"Do you want to tell me why you're awake at four a.m.?", he smirks.

"I woke up and may have been a little turned on and in need of my husband, but he wasn't there. It's Susan, isn't it?" Susan's news that she's dying has consumed Christian's mind. He called Charles last night, but Charles said he didn't want anything to do with his mother despite the fact that she doesn't have much time left.

"I wish Charles would change his mind and talk with Susan. She messed up big time, but I don't want her to be alone. I also don't want him to end up regretting what might have been when it's too late. I suppose I should call and tell her that I tried to get him to talk with her, but I don't have the heart to disappoint her."

"When did she say she's returning to Detroit?", I ask.

"This afternoon. I sort of want to see her before she leaves, but I'm not sure." Christian's view of Susan has lightened, but he still carries resentment towards her for her hand in Ella's downfall. "She saw Jamison's photo that's on the wall behind my desk. Other than telling his age, I didn't divulge any more information about him. That was before she told me why she did what she did and about her cancer."

"And now you want to to tell her more about Jamison." His nod is immediately turned into a shake of the head.

"I'm so confused. The woman is responsible for Ella and Charles breaking up and therefore Charles not knowing about me. Let's not forget the downfall Ella took as a result of Susan's meddling."

"Remember what I told you last night. You're human. It's ok to have sympathy for someone who has done wrong." He rubs his eyes which are filled with tears. "As sad as it is, death has a way of changing people and they way they see things."

"I'm going to do. I'm going to go and see her before she leaves. It might not possibly be the last time I ever see her, and I'd like if you were there with me." I slide my hand across the table and into his open one.

"I'll be there."

"Bring Jamison too. I'd like for her to meet him."

* * *

"Ben's been working nights the past week.", Mia mutters from her living room floor where she's trying to do Pilates. I'm fairly certain the way she's moving her body isn't the normal way the exercise is done. She asked me to join in, but I passed and said I was content with observing. "Being a doctor means his schedule is going to be all over the place, but this is actually the first time since we've been living together that he's not here at night."

"And you're not doing ok with it?", I ask, alternating my eyes from her to Jamison who's playing on an extra Pilates mat.

"I guess I got used to having him next to me at bedtime, and now it takes forever to fall asleep. I drifted off last night around ten which many people would see as a decent time except I woke up at midnight on the dot. I couldn't get back to sleep no matter what I tried. I gave up and started organizing the bedroom closet. Once that was finished, I started watching some tv. There's not a lot of quality tv on at that time of night. I hoped some of the cheesy infomercials would make me sleepy. Nada."

"A glass of warm milk has always been my go-to sleep remedy. Did you try that?"

"I was going to, but we were out of milk. I considered driving to the all night grocery store a few blocks away and buying some, but when I sat down on the sofa to put my shoes on, I fell asleep."

"Did you stay asleep that time?"

"By some miracle, yes. I woke up this morning in the bed. It seems Ben got home about seven and carried me to the bedroom."

"Aww. I'm sorry you had a rough time. Is the night shift going to be just for this week or is it going to be longer?" Mia stands and balances her entire body on one foot, a feat she gives herself a thumbs up on. "Good job.", I giggle.

"Thanks, and as of right now, it looks like he might be alternating days and nights, work days one week and then nights the next. His body is going to be so confused and won't know when it's time to sleep." Jamison eases to his feet and waddles to his aunt who moves back to both feet before picking him up. "It's hard to believe he'll be one soon. It seems like yesterday he was being born." I redirect my attention to the floor so I won't become emotional over the fact that my baby boy is almost one. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"I'm not crying."

"Those aren't tears in your eyes?", Mia asks.

"It's kind of sad knowing he's getting older. Seeing him take his first steps was incredible, but it was also bittersweet. It was one more memory checked off the list." She gets off her mat and stands in front of me as Jamison's mouth curls into a smile. "How does one smile make me feel better?"

"It's magic. What time are you and Christian going to see Susan?" When Mia called this morning to invite me over, I told her about Christian and I going to visit with Susan before she leaves Seattle. Glancing down at my watch, I see that it's already one.

"Not for another two hours, but we should be going." I stand and pick Jamison up. "I hope you have a easier time going to sleep tonight."

"You and me both. I'm going to go and get that milk in a few minutes." She leans down and kisses Jamison's forehead. "Aunt Mia loves you."

* * *

**C POV**

"Thanks again for coming here with me." Ana and I are on the elevator at the Fairmont where Susan is staying. Her flight back to Detroit was originally scheduled for three thirty, but she decided to take a later flight after learning that Ana and I were going to visit her. Another person tagging along is Jamison.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else." The elevator stops on Susan's floor, and we step off, looking to the left and then the right.

"It's to the left I believe." From Ana's arms, Jamison's taking in all the sights around him while we make our way to Susan's suite. "This is it." I lightly tap on the door and return the comforting smile Ana's giving me. We hear the sound of feet gently touching the floor on the other side of the door which is opened by Susan. She appears to be even more frail than yesterday. "Hi." Her eyes instantly go to Ana and Jamison. "You remember my wife Ana."

"Yes. Come in." She waves us inside the spacious suite. "I'm sorry about my behavior during our last meeting. I was rude and well, in the simplest terms, not a very nice person."

"It's ok.", Ana replies. "Christian and I would like you to meet our son Jamison."

"Hello there Jamison.", Susan says softly. "You're very cute." Jamison jabbers in response, making Susan laugh. "You know you're cute. Let's go and have a seat." Ana and I sit down on the beige sofa while Susan settles in a matching arm chair. "I was surprised when you called and said you were stopping by, but I'm so happy you're here. Have you by any chance spoken to Charles?"

"I did.", I murmur, letting my face tell her the rest.

"He still doesn't want to see me. I don't blame him. I'm a horrible person who deserves to be alone."

"You're not alone. I can't promise you a normal grandmother, grandson relationship. It's not possible. I can try and include you in our lives." She closes her eyes and reopens them with tears.

"Despite the fact that I've been an awful person?"

"I believe you regret what you did and the way you acted."

"I do with all my heart.", she sniffles. "Just as I see a part of Charles when I look at you, I see a part of you when I look at Jamison."" Jamison starts squirming in Ana's arms so she places him on the floor where he takes off. "And he's walking."

"He just started.", Ana replies with pride.

"Charles was into everything once he started walking. Sometimes keeping up with him felt like a full time job. He'd hide behind the curtains and laugh. He had such a wonderful laugh. It's been forever since I've heard it, and I'm the one to blame for that." Jamison moves to her as there's a knock at the door. "I wonder who that could be." She stands and goes to the door, gasping after opening it. Ana and I look at each other and then towards the door.

"Hello Mom.", we hear Charles say.

"Charles, you're here.", Susan sighs. She opens the door wider for him to enter the room. The two of them stand and stare at the other before Charles breaks into tears. He pulls her into his arms as Ana and I watch.

"Things have been said and done, but at the end of the day, you're still my mother who I love. I tried to convince myself I was doing the right thing by not being there for you. It was useless." With her still in his arms, he looks at me and mouths thank you.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Shhh. Enough of the apologizing. I don't want to dwell on the past."

"You're right. Let's live in the here and now."

* * *

"So Charles is going back to Detroit with Susan?", Ana asks. We're sitting in the living room while resting from the emotional visit to Susan. After Charles arrived, we spent almost two hours talking with him and Susan before leaving mother and son alone. It was emotionally draining but worth it.

"Yeah. He's going to take a leave of absence from work, and then he's going to meet with her doctor. I'm glad he changed his mind."

"I think maybe he's been so overwhelmed with all that's happened, and he needed just a little time to try to process the news that his mother's dying."

"It's been a trying time.", I mutter. "Jamison seems to like her."

"He does.", Ana giggles.

"Since our little guy is snoozing away upstairs, why don't we go and get back to practicing for his new brother or sister?"

"I'm all for some horizontal mambo even though it's going to be a fruitless effort."

"Is something wrong? Ana, baby, whatever it is going on, tell me. We'll get through it together.", I say while fear and worry take over.

"You can't try to get pregnant when you're already pregnant.", she whispers. I turn my entire body around so I can get a full view of her. "I've been a little emotional so I after Jamison and I left Mia and Ben's I came home and took one of the tests I bought last week. With us on the path of trying, I wanted to have some tests on hand when needed."

"But your shot?", I ask.

"It must have ended sooner. I thought the result might be have been a false positive, but the second test showed the same. They were both positive. I thought about telling you on the way to see Susan, but I didn't feel the timing was right. She's dying, and we have a new life on the way." I've lost count with the numbers of times I've cried lately, but unlike most of them, the ones falling now are happy tears. Ana and I are having another baby. Jamison's getting a sibling. Our family is growing. "You're not saying much."

"My happiness has left me speechless, but you just gave me the best news."


	8. Chapter 8

**C POV**

"When do you want to tell everyone about the new baby?" Ana snaps her seatbelt and tilts her head at me with the cutest smile on her face. I glance at Taylor who's listening to music with his ear buds. He's under the pretense that our doctor's visit was to ready ourselves for trying for another baby. "Why does that look make me think you want to hold off?"

"I might." She points at the hospital where we've just left from her appointment with Dr. Greene. "We've only known for two weeks and just got it confirmed by Dr. Greene. I'd like to keep the news to ourselves for a while if that's ok."

"That's fine. I'll do my best to hide my happiness." I was ecstatic last week when Ana told me she was pregnant and even more so today when Dr. Greene told us Ana's already six weeks along. Seeing the baby on the screen was incredible. There in front of us was another product of our love who along with Jamison will be showered with affection.

"All I ask is for you to try, and I'll do the same. Maybe we should make a pact. If at any time either of us feel tempted to reveal the news, we immediately find the other."

"Baby, I'll try, but sometimes I have diarrhea of the mouth when it comes to joyful news.", I laugh. Taylor turns out on to the highway and begins heading to the house. Taylor and I picked up Ana for the appointment, but I've got to get back to the office.

"Are you going to come inside when we get to the house?", she asks. I want more than anything to see Jamison's face, but I know one look at his face will make it even more difficult to go back to work.

"Just for a few minutes."

* * *

Upon arriving at the house, we're greeted at the door by Gail who's holding Riley in her arms and Jamison who draws his lips into a pout, wanting me to pick him up. Taylor takes Riley from Gail and begins peppering kisses on the baby's cheeks. The two of us glance at each and grin.

"I don't see you leaving any time soon.", Ana giggles. "I'm going to go and get his bottle ready."

"I'm going to do the same for Riley.", Gail says. She follows Ana into the kitchen as Taylor and I sit down with the babies.

"I bet you never the day would come in which the two of us were holding babies.", I tell Taylor.

"Not really, but it's an incredible feeling." He grabs a burp cloth from the couch arm and wipes some drool from the corner of Riley's mouth. Riley kicks her tiny feet as she starts whimpering. "Shh. It's ok angel."

"We're back.", Ana announces. She pads to the sofa with Jamison's bottle in her hand. "Do you want to take him so you can get back to the office?" Taylor's already taken Riley's bottle from Gail and started feeding the baby. Ana, reading my mind, hands me Jamison's bottle. She snuggles to my side and rubs the baby's cheek tenderly while he starts in on his bottle.

"Are you sure you don't want us to watch him while you go to dinner tonight?", Gail asks. Ana and I are having dinner with Elliot and Spencer, our first dinner with them since they got back together.

"Thanks for offering, but my parents are looking forward to keeping him.", I answer. Halfway through Jamison's feeding, my phone rings from my pocket. Ana gently takes him from me so I can answer the call. "It's Ros. She's probably wondering why I haven't gotten back to the office yet." I stand and slip into the study to take the call. "Before you ask, I'm at the house with Jamison and Ana. I wanted to spend some time with them before heading back to the office." I told Ros a completely different story from Taylor about why I had to leave work. The fake reason, I needed to accompany Ana to the dentist for a chipped tooth.

"I dropped some papers off and was told by Andrea you hadn't gotten back yet. How's Ana?"

"She's doing well." I stick my head out of the door briefly and see Ana's now burping Jamison. "Very well."

"I'm glad to hear that. The papers I dropped off for you don't have to be signed until tomorrow so you don't have to worry about coming back to work if you don't want to."

"How kind of you Ros.", I tease. "But I'll be back soon." I finish the call and return to the living room. "I guess I should get back to work. Taylor, are you ready?"

"As ready as I can be.", he sighs. He kisses Riley and then Gail. "Ladies, I shall return this evening." Gail blushes and retrieves Riley from him.

"I'll see the three of you later.", I whisper in Ana's ear.

* * *

"Mr. Grey, Ms. Bailey dropped these off for you." Andrea hands me the papers Ros left for me.

"Yes. I spoke with her over the phone about these. Thank you."

In my office, I close the door and sit down with the papers. Half of them are in regards to the sale of a warehouse downtown which I own but no longer have use for. Grabbing my pen, I prepare to start signing, but I get the sudden urge to call Charles. He and I have been in more contact in the two weeks since he and Susan returned to Detroit. The phone rings four times before he answers it.

"Christian, hi.", Charles answers. He sounds exhausted.

"Hi. I'm at work but decided to call and see how you and Susan are doing."

"I was actually about to call you myself. I'm at the hospital with her now. We were sitting outside when she got light-headed. I called 911 immediately." Although Susan's never going to make up for her actions, I feel compassion for her and don't want her life to end. "Her blood pressure had dropped. The doctors have her stabilized and think she might be released in the morning."

"Is there anything I can do?", I ask.

"No. All I can do is sit and let her know I'm here for her."

"Just that helps." I hear another voice on the other side of the phone.

"Christian, she just woke up so I'm going to go and visit with her for a while. I'll call you later to give an update."

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to call." I hang up the phone and brush away the tears in my eyes while hearing a knock at the door. "Come in." Ros opens the door and looks at me curiously. "Charles called and said Susan's in the hospital." She walks across the floor and around my desk, placing her arms around me. "They think she'll be able to go home tomorrow though."

"I'm sorry." She lets go and smiles as I compose myself.

"I was about to start on the papers you left when he called." I only now see the folder in her hand. "More things to sign?"

"Only a few." I take the papers, but Ros continues standing by my desk with a smirk. "Yes?"

"I was wondering how Ana chipped her tooth?"

"It just happened.", I shrug. "Why are you asking?"

"Call it me being curious. When you told me earlier you were leaving, you seemed excited which is odd considering you were going to the dentist with your wife. I've never seen anyone with that much excitement over the dentist." _Don't break. Don't break._

"You're wasting your time if you think there's more going on."

"I'll leave it for now."

* * *

**A POV**

"How can I help?", Elliot asks after striding into the kitchen and placing his arms around Spencer's waist. Spencer spins around on her heels and cocks her head in contemplation.

"You know that room you just came from?"

"The living room. Do you need me to tidy up in there?"

"I need you to go back in there with your brother until dinner is ready. I appreciate you wanting to help, but there's nothing I need help with." She grabs his collar and pulls him to him, kissing him passionately. Elliot's left hand is about to go underneath her blouse until she smacks it away. "Easy fella. We have guests."

"I'm sure Ana and Christian won't mind if we excused ourselves for thirty minutes.", Elliot jokes.

"Thirty minutes? Aren't you being ambitious.", Spencer teases back. "Go back in the living room with Christian, and I'll make it worth your while later." Elliot sprints out of the room.

"I see things are going well.", I tell Spencer as I start setting the table.

"They are. We've been working on things in and out of therapy. We had a small tiff yesterday, but we got our coats and went for a walk to clear our heads. There wasn't any yelling. When it was over, both of us felt better. The breakup was hard, but in a way it needed to happen. Does that make sense?"

"You needed something to help give you a push to work on things. I get it." My stomach begins churning. I place my hand over my mouth and hope I'm able to control the sudden nausea. I was sick earlier this morning but have been feeling better since then.

"Ana?" Spencer drops the spoon in her hand and hurries to me.

"I'm good.", I murmur. "I had a meatball sandwich earlier, and I'm regretting it now."

"Is that all that's going on?"

"Yeah, and I'm already starting to feel better. Are we almost ready for dinner?"

"Everything is ready. I'll go and get the guys. Why don't you go ahead and sit down?" I sit down while she alternates her steps to the living room with glances at me. Only a few moments later she returns with Elliot and Christian. "Ana's not feeling well."

"What's wrong?", a panicked Christian asks.

"Nothing. I'm fine. I started feeling a little nauseous, but it passed." Christian sits down next to me and places his hand on mine.

"If you start feeling sick again, let us know.", Elliot says.

* * *

Luckily, my nausea doesn't make a reappearance, and dinner goes off without a hitch. The change in Elliot and Spencer was clear as they talked and listened to each other. Christian and Elliot insist that Spencer and I not touch a thing on the table and leave the clean up to them.

"I realize Jamison's only eleven months old, but have you and Christian started thinking about what kind of a birthday party you're giving?", Spencer asks me after we settle in the living room.

"We haven't although we should get started. It needs to be memorable." I hear Christian and Elliot bantering back and forth in the kitchen before the sound of a phone interrupts. Christian's faint voice is now all I hear. He treads into the living room with tears. "What is it?" When Christian doesn't answer, I look to Elliot. "Do you know?"

"He got a call from Charles is all I know. He hasn't said anything about it."

"She was going home tomorrow.", Christian mumbles. "But she's gone."

"Susan? What happened?"

"Charles said he had been at her bedside almost the entire time, but he stepped out of the room for something to drink. When he returned, she had stopped breathing. The doctors worked on her, but it was too late. They think she had a heart attack." I get up and place engulf him with my arms. "Charles thought they had more time."

"It's ok. I know saying goodbye to her wasn't something that any one wanted, but she's not suffering."

"She was my grandmother. The woman did terrible things, but she was my grandmother, and now she's gone. She's gone Ana."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"Give Jamison a bunch of kisses and hugs from us. We'll call on check on him later. Love you too. Bye." Christian's smile isn't reaching his eyes as he puts his phone back on the nightstand. Like me, he misses Jamison, but our baby boy is back in Seattle with Carrick and Grace while we attend Susan's funeral tomorrow. One of the things she and Charles discussed during her last days were her funeral. She didn't want a visitation, only a small service at the church she attended. Christian and I arrived in Detroit an hour ago and will be leaving tomorrow after the service.

"He's in good hands with your parents.", I tell Christian. He goes to his suitcase and pulls out the framed photos of Jamison he placed safely between his shirts and pants.

"I know, but I miss him." I move behind him and rest my head on his shoulder, joining him in admiring the photo of Jamison. "Looking at this photo helps somewhat in making this trip more bearable. Besides Susan's funeral, the general emotions of being back in Detroit are there." The time we were in Detroit was to face Susan about her knowledge of Christian's mother Ella being pregnant by Charles years ago, yet not telling Charles. We also made a stop at Ella's grave where Christian had a heart to heart with the her.

"Do you want to go by Ella's grave while we're here?"

"Yes. No. I don't know.", he mutters as he sets the frame down. "In a way I feel like I said all that was needed during our last visit, but I also feel like I need to."

"It's your choice. We have some a little time this afternoon before it gets dark, and we'll have some time tomorrow."

"I'll go tomorrow if I decide on it." His lips start gravitating towards mine, but a surge of nausea sends me scurrying to the bathroom. I drop to the cold linoleum floor and empty all the contents of my stomach. Christian wets a cloth and wipes the side of of my face before taking rubbing my back. "This may not be the best time, but you to need to eat." I lift my head and glare at him. "It needed to be said. You've barely ate today."

"I had some peanut butter and crackers on the plane along with an apple. That was after the large breakfast I had." He helps me to my feet and takes a fresh wash cloth to my forehead. "I had almost forgotten how you get when I'm pregnant."

"Protective? Concerned? Overbearing? Yeah. I tend to act those ways, but I mean well."

"I know you do, and it's sweet. I'm going to change before we leave to meet with Charles." Christian and I are going to Susan's house where Charles is staying.

* * *

"Thank you for coming.", Charles says after we step inside the living room of Susan's house. A cloud of somberness surrounds the room which was filled with anger and hurt during our last visit here. "I realize she may not have been the nicest person to you in the beginning, but it means a lot having you here."

"Things might have not been the best at first, but we had started mending fences the best way we could.", Christian replies. We sit down on the sofa while Charles pads around the room, stopping at photos and other items in the room.

"It's weird being in this house without her. She had this presence about her."

"It's good you were with her during her final days.", I tell him. He turns from the vase on the mantle and smiles through tears. "You told Christian the service was going to be small."

"It was what she wanted. My mom hosted countless parties and participated in numberous social events with people who at the time she felt were friends. Sadly, many of them only pretended in order to get their foot in the door to high society. It occurred to me when I was about sixteen, and my mom was hosting a holiday party. One of the women attending was Lisa Rourke. She was a few years younger than my mother and had just married a well respected lawyer here in Detroit. My parents were acquaintances of Greg, Lisa's husband, so my mother decided to embrace Lisa and help her learn the basics of events hosting and so on. I could see my mom saw a real friendship, yet I also sensed Lisa was using my mother. A few months down the road, my dad came home and told how he had heard about this big birthday bash for Greg being given by Lisa. My mom was certain their invite was either lost or Lisa had mistakenly forgot to call. I was standing by this very fireplace when she sat down in her chair and called Lisa. The smile on her face gradually faded as their conversation went on. When it was over, I saw tears although she claimed she had something in her eye. She didn't tell me what had been said, but I overheard her and my father talking later that night. Lisa had told my mom she no longer needed her."

"Damn. That's harsh.", Christian murmurs.

"I waited a week and asked my mom if she had heard from Lisa, and she answered by saying she didn't desire being friends with Lisa any more. I knew it wasn't the truth and even told her what I had heard. She tried her best to discount me. Back to the present and the last two weeks where only two of her friends and her minister came to see her. The day she went to the hospital she and I were sitting in her sunroom and reminiscing. She brought up the subject of not having her so called friends visit and even though there was hurt, it was minimum. Evidently, it slowly started sinking in to her a while ago that people weren't who they seemed. She then told me she would rather have a few true friends than many fake ones. That led her to the decision of having only a small service with the us and the two friends who had visited along with the minister of her church."

"I can see why she would want that. Tomorrow is going to be a day of memorializing which shouldn't be done by people with dishonest intentions.", I say.

* * *

**C POV**

"The flowers you sent are lovely. One of her hobbies was gardening. She would spend hours at a time tending to the flowers and making sure they were perfect. I'm sure she's smiling now at the arrangement from you."

"I wasn't sure what her favorite flower was so I just told the florist to send a mixture." Charles lets out a small laugh.

"It' even more perfect. Despite her love for gardening, she didn't have a favorite flower. She would make sure a fresh bouquet was placed in the living room, dining room, and kitchen. It's very rare for the three rooms to have the same flower. My father was convinced she secretly had a favorite, but she told him it wasn't true." We walk to the casket where Charles places his hand on the top. His eyes close as a man dressed in a black suit approaches us.

"Charles?", the man says. Charles opens his eyes and smiles slightly at the man. "I'm sorry for interrupting your moment."

"It's fine. Christian, Ana, this is Keith Perry, Mom's minister. Keith, this is Christian and Ana Grey." The minister gives a knowing look which is caught by Ana and I along with Charles. "Yes Christian is my son who you heard about."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Christian and Ana. Susan came to me several months ago and told me what took place all those years ago. Although one can't rewind time, she was determined to make things as better as possible. On the day of her diagnosis, she showed up at my office where she broke down in tears, telling me that even though she felt her efforts to right things was failing, she was still going to continue trying. Our correspondence became more frequent at the end with me either visiting or calling her."

"Mom thought of you as more than her minister. She saw you as a friend."

"And I saw her the same way." The sound of heels clicking against the hardwood of the church diverts all of our eyes to two approaching women. One is short with a shoulder length blonde hair while the other average height with black hair. Both women appear to be around Susan's age. They stop and stare at Susan's casket, wiping away real tears which leads me to believe they're the two friends Charles mentioned.

"Charles, hello.", the blonde says as she hugs him. The black-haired one then moves and embraces him in her arms.

"Hi dear.", she tells him.

"Thank you for being here and well...being Mom's friends. She valued the friendship the three of you had. I'd like for you to meet Christian and Ana Grey. Christian, Ana, this is Marilyn Townsend." He nods at the blonde and then the other woman. "And Janice Vaughn, Mom's friends." The two women trade glances and then repeat the same look the minister gave.

"We heard about you, both of you.", Marilyn says warmly. "And that adorable baby of yours. Susan spent almost an hour gushing about his cuteness. She was thrilled that she got to meet him."

"We were happy that she got to as well. He seemed to take up with her.", Ana smiles.

We take our seats as the service gets underway. Ana and I are on the front left pew while Marilyn and Janice are on pew across from us. Charles and Keith are seated in chairs by the casket. Keith stands and walks to the podium.

"Thank you all for gathering here today to pay your final respects to Susan Murphy. I knew Susan many, many years, and like you, I'm grieving the loss of her, but I encourage you to join me in celebrating her. At this time Susan's son Charles will speak. Keith pats Charles on the back as the two men trade places.

"To many, she was intimidating and difficult to get to know. I was even one of those people at one time.", Charles chuckles lightly. "The ironic thing is I knew her my entire life, but it was only during the last two weeks that I actually got to truly know her. She and I laughed and cried more times than I can remember. Not having her here in body is difficult to grasp, but knowing she's not in pain and in a better place gets me through the day." He wipes away tears and then turns to the casket. "I love you Mom." Ana's hand which has been in mine tightens with the onset of tears falling from our faces.

"It was a lovely service.", I tell Charles once the service is over.

"Yeah. It was.", he murmurs. "Just what she wanted. The cemetary she's being buried in isn't too far from the one where Ella's buried. Do you want to stop by there?" I wasn't sure yesterday if I wanted to make a return visit to Ella's grave, but I've decided to go.

"Ok."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"Morning Bryce.", Christian says while wiping up the coffee he spilled on the table. Bryce manuevers around the table, making sure he doesn't get in the way of Christian's cleanup.

"Good morning. Usually coffee goes in a cup and not on the table."

"I thought I'd mix things up a little this morning." Christian was slightly agitated after knocking his cup over, but his attitude brightened the moment he heard Jamison giggling from his high chair. Our baby boy has his eyes fixed on Christian, but I'm miraculously still able to feed his cereal to him.

"Is April still anxious about going back to work?" April's first day back at work is today although Christian told her she could take off a little longer if she wasn't ready. She considered his offer but decided to go ahead and return today. Bryce's mother is watching Alex while his parents work.

"Not as much as she was. My mom promised to keep her posted about Alex throughout the day.", Bryce answers. Gail opens the side door and walks into the kitchen with Riley's diaper bag on her shoulder while Taylor follows behind her with a wide awake Riley in her stroller. "Good morning Taylors."

"Hi.", they reply together, making Gail blush. She places the diaper bag on the counter and starts to pick up Riley, but Taylor gets to the baby first.

"I just want to hold her for a while before it's time to leave.", he tells her gently. "Daddy's going to miss his little girl today." He kisses the baby's cheek and then turns his attention to Bryce. "I guess I'll be seeing April at the office today."

"You will.", Bryce answers. "So Ana, what's on the agenda for today?"

"I'm going to the diner to meet with Mary so we can discuss flowers and other decorations for the wedding."

"Where's Sawyer?", Gail asks. "He's usually here by now." The sound of the front door closing with a thud gravitates all eyes towards the living room. Sawyer staggers from the living room and into the kitchen. His hair is disheveled on top of his head while his eyes don't appear to be fully open.

"Sawyer, not only am I your supervisor, but I'm also your friend so I'm going to be nice when I say...you look like crap.", Taylors says. "Are you not feeling well?"

"I didn't get much sleep last night." Bryce snickers beside him. "Paula had been wanting a puppy so being the wonderful boyfriend that I am, I went and bought her a Yorkshire Terrier. It's a girl named Violet. She's only a few months old and is kind of adorable. Besides buying food for her, I also bought her a nice little bed where she's supposed to sleep. Did you catch the notice part? I'm getting ready to go bed and snuggle with my lady, but Violet was on my side of the bed. Paula put her on her little bed, but she apparently likes our bed better. Paula was batting her eyes at me, making it difficult to argue, thus I gave in and agreed to let the dog sleep with us. She wanted to wiggle on the comforter at first, but she finally settled down and went to sleep."

"Didn't you go to sleep afterwards?", Christian asks.

"For a while until I was woken up with my face being licked. I was halfway asleep and for a split second forgot about Violet being in the bed. I thought it was Paula licking my face. After realizing it wasn't her, I gave up and got on the sofa which isn't very comfortable."

"Dude, I'm sorry.", Bryce laughs. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night either, but that's because I have at my house."

"I'm sure things will improve over tell.", I assure Sawyer although I find myself giggling along with Jamison, but his laughter stems from knocking his bowl of cereal on to the floor.

* * *

"Carol, I'm going to be over here if anyone needs me.", Mary says. She slides into the opposite side of the booth where I've been eating an order of cheese fries. I move my plate over a tad and set down the notebook I brought with me. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting."

"I didn't mind. I remember how it would go from being empty to crowded in no time."

"The last few days have been exactly like that. Candace came into work last night thinking it was going to be slow since there wasn't a single customer's car in the parking lot. She went to start filling the napkin holders when all of a sudden several people came in. It's good though. Did Jamison not want to come help with the wedding planning?"

"He stayed home with Nancy. She and Gail were getting ready for lunch as I was leaving the house." Watching Jamison watch Riley almost made me tear up. It was a nice hint of how he may act with his future brother or sister. Flowers. What are your favorites?"

"Roses. I like all colors of them. Ray will randomly show up here with bouquets of them. Your dad is the best Ana."

"I know.", I smile back. "We can bring in all kind of roses for the day. I saw these vases that have pebbles at the bottom. On top of the pebbles were flowers, and sitting at the mouth of the vase were candles. We could take use roses for that."

"I like that idea.", she nods. "Before we go any further, I want to thank you again for helping me plan with the planning. I'm not very good when it comes to planning parties and especially weddings. This also means a lot to me because it gives us the chance to spend some time together. I can't wait to officially be family."

* * *

**C POV**

"April, how's your first day back going so far?", Taylor asks his niece. He and I have just returned from a luncheon with the mayor.

"It's gone better than I thought. I called Bryce's mom a few minutes ago to see how Alex was doing, and he was sleeping." Her shoulders stiffen as her eyes move to me. "I promise my checking up on him won't affect my work."

"Don't apologize for being a parent. I understand completely.", I reply Checking in on Jamison is a constant for me, one that'll only increase when the new baby arrives. Andrea returns to her desk and hands me several papers. "I hope these are simple papers for me to sign so I won't be here late."

"You're sort of right.", Andrea shrugs. "They do need a signature, but I'm not sure how simple or complicated they are since they're the department reports you asked for." A few weeks ago, I met with all department heads and asked them to compile extensive reports on their departments. I wanted to know their strengths in addition to their weaknesses. It's a way to determine what needs to be done to advance the company and employees. "Ros has already been given her copies and said she wants to discuss things once you're both finished."

"She didn't happen to give a time of when she wants to meet?" I place my hand on the knob of my office door.

"All she said was once you're both finished." I hear my phone ringing as I'm opening my door. Stepping inside my office, I see that it's Charles calling. I last spoke with him two days ago when he was preparing to return to New York after closing up Susan's house.

"Charles, hi. How are you?"

"Hey. I'm ok. I'm sorry for calling, but I really needed to discuss something with you." I pad to my desk, dropping the papers in my hand. "With my mother being gone, I have no other family except you, Ana, and Jamison. I know our relationship is always going to be hindered because of all that transpired, but you're all I have." His voice cracks more and more with each word. "I wanted to find out your thoughts on me possibly moving to Seattle."

"Move to Seattle?", I ask. "What about your job and your relationship with Gina?"

"My company is going to be acquired by another company in a few weeks. Major changes are in store, including laying off long time employees. I'm not one of those on the list, but I don't agree with what's going to take place so I've decided to resign. I can find a stock broker job elsewhere. As for my relationship with Gina, even though we believed our feelings had turned romantic, we came to the conclusion that we're better off as friends. So...I really don't have anything in New York." I've been in the feeling alone boat, and it's not a pleasant place to be. Charles and I may never have a normal relationship, but I want him to know he has family.

"You want to know what my opinion on the matter is? I think having you in Seattle full time will be nice."

"I'm glad to hear that. I'll keep you updated on things as they happen.", he says as Taylor opens the door. I'm alarmed by the seriousness on his face.

"All right. I'll talk to you later. Bye." My shaky hands almost send my phone to the floor. "Something's wrong.", I murmur.

"Sawyer called and told me there was an accident at the diner." I'm to my feet and the door before Taylor has a chance to continue. He places a hand on my shoulder. "Christian, Ana's fine." Ana told me Jamison was going to stay home while she met with Mary, but things change. "Jamison wasn't there."

"What happened?"

"An elderly woman was parking her car and accidentally hit the gas, sending her car into the diner. Luckily no one was sitting at the front tables. Ana and Mary were at a booth towards the back."

"I need to go see my wife. Now."

* * *

My skins crawls at the giant hole at the front of the diner. My wife was in that diner when the incident happened. Ana, my Ana. I stand in front of the hole and fight back tears while looking at damage.

"Excuse me, sir, I'm not sure how you got past the barriers, but you can't be here.", a police officer tells me.

"I'm Christian Grey, and my wife is that diner. I'm going to go and find her, and I suggest you move out of my way.", I snarl. He makes the wise move of stepping aside so I can go trudge through the damage in search of Ana. I find her at the back of the diner along with several others, including Sawyer, Bryce, Mary, and Ray. Ana springs from her chair and into my arms. "I was so fucking scared when Taylor told me." Carol and the other waitresses go into the kitchen.

"It was a pretty scary moment, but it's ok. No one was hurt. The driver of the car, Edna Garland, was taken to the hospital to be checked over."

"As should you." My hands go to her stomach. "Both of you."

"We're fine. Mary and I were back here when it happened."

"Christian, I know how you're feeling.", Ray says. "I was getting ready to go to the paint store when Mary called me. How I didn't get a speeding ticket is beyond me."

"The place can be repaired, but lives are more important.", Mary adds. "Ray, do you want to go and help me in the kitchen with some food for everyone?" It's clear Mary's wanting to give Ana and I some privacy.

"Sure." Ray motions for Bryce, Sawyer, and Taylor to follow.

"I called the house on the way. Jamison was playing.", I tell Ana. I find it unable to hold in the tears in any longer.

"Christian, it's ok.", she whispers between sniffles. "I know you're mind is telling you, "What if?", but you need to ignore your mind for once. Don't let the "What if?" get to you. Concentrate on the positive."

"I'm trying. Baby, I'm trying."

"Try harder. Everyone is safe."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Happy Holidays everyone! Thanks for reading!**

**C POV**

"Ros, I've looked over the department reports and am ready to discuss them if you are." Ros stares at me over her reading glasses. "Or do you need more time?"

"I'm wondering if the one who needs more time is you.", she replied. "Hell I'm wondering why you're even here today. Less than twenty-four hours ago your wife was at a diner where.."

"I know what happened. I don't need to be reminded.", I say harsher than I intended. "I'm sorry for snapping at you." I fall back in one of the chairs and roll my head back. "Ana said I need to focus on the fact that she's ok, but it doesn't make forgetting what happened easier. I could have lost her." Ros reaches and hands me a tissue for the tears I didn't even know where falling. "Fuck. Now I'm crying."

"There's nothing wrong with that. Holding in your feelings isn't good. Ana's right about being thankful she's ok, but you can't forget about that car going through the diner. She's your wife and mother of your children." Children? "I mean child."

"Yet you said children." She twirls her pen between her fingers, obviously trying to think of an excuse. "Ros?" She lightly tosses the pen on the top of the desk and holds her hands up in defeat.

"Fine. I said children because I meant children. Christian, did you really think I believed you left work that day to accompany Ana to the dentist for a chipped tooth? It was evident you went somewhere else. You've also had a glow about you. It's exactly like the one you had when Ana was pregnant with Jamison."

"I don't have a glow. Only pregnant women have a glow. The dads don't.", I scoff. She begins staring at me while waiting for me to budge. "Ok. Yes, Ana's pregnant, but we haven't told anyone. She and I are the only ones who know."

"And now me although I promise to keep my lips sealed and not tell anyone except for Bill the maintenance man." I huff a deep breath and scowl at her. "I'm kidding. I won't say anything. Back to how you're feeling, you need to sit down and talk with Ana, let her know how deep the accident affected you."

"You're right and I will. I did get what I see as good news yesterday. Charles is more than likely moving to Seattle. He wants to be closer to what family he has left. I could hear the anxiety in his voice as he asked my thoughts. I feel bad that he lost time that he'll never get back."

"He can't get that time back, but he can make the most of the time he has now."

"Thank you for listening. Now then, since I'm here, we might as well go over those reports. Lyle McKibbon, the head of accounting said he feels his department doesn't take him serious enough."

"From what I've seen, McKibbon could be a little more stern with his employees. He's more concerned with being their friend and not their boss. Most of the absences in the company are in accounting. They're constantly calling in and leaving early. He needs to put his foot down and take control."

"I couldn't agree more.", I reply. "Other than what's going on in that department, the other department heads have good reports. They state there's always room for improvement, but all in all, they're pleased with things."

"That leaves us with Lyle McKibbon. I'll call and tell him we need to discuss the report with him."

* * *

"Lyle, thank you for meeting with us.", I tell Lyke McKibbon after he sits down at the conference table. Both Ros and I are on the opposite side of him. "I assume you know why I asked you here."

"About the department report. I almost wrote things were good in the department, but I decided I needed to tell the truth."

"Why were you going to lie and say things were ok?", Ros asks.

"Embarrassment. I'm in charge of the department and can't keep those working in it in line."

"I've seen you interacting with some of the people under you. From my viewpoint, you came across as a guy who wanted so much to be liked than you're willing to let things go. The amount of absences in accounting is ridiculous. I understand people being sick or having things come up, but I sense they're calling in because they can. They know you're not going to do anything. When people start missing work, it affects the entire department. The quality and amount of work done is touched."

"I'm sorry. You're right about me wanting to be liked. When I took the position, I had a few people who immediately didn't like me. They didn't come out and say it, but I knew. Their records showed they were good workers. I made the stupid decision of getting them to like me by letting them do whatever. I thought it would be short term. They'd see I wasn't a bad guy and then start treating me like a real boss."

"You made a mistake there.", Ros sighs. "You can't have your cake and eat it too. I get along with the people who work here, but I also make it known I'm their boss which they accept. I'm not afraid to call someone into my office when their work is inadequate. If they can't accept you're their supervisor, they need to find employment elsewhere."

"It's not going to be easy, but I'll get it my best."

"I'm confident you're going to be ok, but if you need my help, feel free to call me.", I say.

* * *

**A POV**

"I don't like seeing that sign telling everyone we're going to be closed until further notice.", Mary murmurs. The sign she's referring to is placed at the parking lot entrance and lets customers know we're not open. "I've already seen several cars slow down as if they were going to turn in here, but they saw that sign and kept going." We're standing at the front of the diner and staring out through hole that was left by yesterday's incident. Elliot stopped by earlier to survey the damage.

"Elliot said he can get started working on it tomorrow, and he doesn't think it'll take long to repair. The customers may be passing by now, but they'll be back once you're reopened."

"I get used to seeing some of the same customers every day, and not being able to see them kind of takes things off balance. Then there's the fact that the employees are losing money by not working." She looks over her shoulder at Carol who's wiping off a back table. "Carol, why don't you go home? There's nothing you can do here." Carol shrugs her shoulders and starts towards us.

"I've got nothing else to do.", Carol jokes.

"You can always stop by the house and see Jamison.", I giggle. "He's a fast little guy now that he's walking." My dad was chasing after Jamison when I dropped him off before coming to the diner with Mary.

"I might take you up on your offer and stop by tomorrow if that's ok with you."

"Tomorrow's fine."

"Ray will probably still be recovering tomorrow from all the running around he's doing today.", Mary laughs in a departure from the somberness she's had since yesterday. She moves from the hole and sits down at one of the tables, but her eyes are still on the damage. "I should be planning my wedding instead of dealing with this."

"You're not alone in any of this. You've got a lot of people to help in any way you need." While putting on a brave face for Mary, I'm inwardly dealing with my emotions over yesterday. I told Christian to not focus on the "what if", but taking my own advice isn't the easiest thing.

"You ok?", Carol asks me.

"Uh huh. I'm going to call and check on Jamison and my dad." I grab my phone from my purse and move to the left side of the diner. The phone rings three times before my dad answers.

"He's ok.", my dad immediately assures me even though I know Jamison's in good hands. "The two of us are sitting in my recliner and resting a bit. I've seen him walking fast, but I had no clue he was as fast as lightning." I wipe a stray tear after hearing Jamison jabbering.

"Don't let him get you too tired."

"I'm going to try."

"Mary and I will see you two fellas soon."

* * *

"I don't think I've ever seen him fall asleep as fast as he did tonight.", Christian says. We've just put Jamison to bed and are getting to go ourselves. "I've got two things I need to talk to you about. I could wait until tomorrow, but I'd rather go ahead so I can maybe have a clear mind when I go to sleep. The first thing is Ros knows you're pregnant. I swear I didn't tell her. She figured it out by the stupid excuse I used the day we got it confirmed." Christian told me his excuse to Ros that day was needing to go with me to the dentist for a chipped tooth. I assumed she took his word. I was wrong. "She also said I've got a glow. I don't have a fucking glow. Do I?" I ease down on the bed and study his face. "She was kidding, right?"

"You do look different. I take it now that she knows we need to tell everyone else."

"Not necessarily. She promised not to say anything, and if there's one thing Ros is it's loyal. She won't tell anyone unless we give her the ok."

"I'd like to hold off on telling others, but I feel the need to do so since Ros knows."

"Give it some thought. I'm ok with whatever you want.", he says. "And now the serious thing I need to discuss with you. It's about what happened yesterday. Please don't interrupt me until I've finished." He leans against the wall while seemingly trying to find the words. "You told me I shouldn't think about the "what if". I get why you told me that, but I also need you to see that it's not that simple. A tiny piece of me felt like you were trying to dismiss and ignore my feelings."

"I wasn't.", I blurt out. He holds his index finger up, telling me to hold off on responding.

"You might not have been, but that's how I felt. That hole in the diner is nothing compared to the void that would be in my life if you were taken from me. You, Jamison, and the new baby are my world. You're all I think about, day and night. All that's happened with Charles has helped put things in even more perspective. It made me see that time with those you love is valuable. You need to take every second and make it count." His face is stained with tears. "I needed to get that out."

"I'm glad you did. I have something to tell you as well. One reason why I told you that was to try to make yesterday a little more bearable in my mind. It was my way of trying to block out my true feelings and fears. It took no time for that car to run into the diner, but it felt like it was in slow motion. All I could think about was leaving you and Jamison and..." I rest my hand on my stomach. "This baby not making it into the world." He pushes himself off the wall and sits down beside me. "I didn't mean to make you feel like your feelings didn't matter. I was just so scared."

"It's ok. We can't erase what happened. It's forever going to be a day we're rather forget, but we do need to move forward. It's been a while since I've had a session with Flynn, but I think I might need to see him, and it might be good for you as well." The one and only time I've seen John Flynn as a patient was to discuss my fear of loss. It was a beneficial meeting, but now a revisit might be in order. "It can be together or separate."

"Meeting with Flynn is a good idea."

"We're going to be ok Ana. I know that without a doubt."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"Daddy's sorry he had to leave the table for a minute.", Christian apologizes sweetly to Jamison. We were in the middle of breakfast when he got a phone. I sit in my chair and observe father and son as they stare at each other. Jamison's smile is an exact mirror of Christian's.

"I'm certain he accepts your apology.", I ask, taking a bite of a strawberry from my fruit bowl. "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah. It was Flynn's assistant. She apparently double booked appointments today and needs to reschedule ours." Christian and I are meeting with John Flynn today to discuss the incident at the diner. We're hoping he can help us get some sort of peace. "We can either go at nine or wait until one. Ros and I are shadowing the the head of accounting this morning so I told her one. Is that ok with you?"

"One is fine with me." I take another strawberry but hold off on eating it. "Meeting with Flynn will be good, right?" Christian sits down in the chair on the other side of me and brings the strawberry to my mouth.

"Yes baby. You and I both know Flynn is good at what he does." It's now Christian's turn to be silent. "I..uh..I went by his office a few days after we returned from our first trip to Detroit, the one where we first met Susan."

"And visited Ella's grave."

"That too. I needed to talk about all that had transpired."

"Why didn't you tell me?", I ask.

"I don't know. I guess I wanted you to think I could handle it on my own. It was an intense two hour conversation. We met again a week later, but that was the last meeting we had on a professional basis."

"Christian, there's nothing wrong with needing help. You can't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders." He takes a drink of his coffee and nods. "When I talked with my dad last night, I mentioned how we're going to see Flynn. It seems he and Mary are considering meeting with someone."

"We're not Ray and Mary, but we went through the same trauma. They'll only benefit from getting help."

"We'll be seeing them tonight for dinner. They've also invited your parents." I look down at my stomach and then look back at him with a raised brow.

"You've decided we can tell them about the new baby tonight?", he asks.

"I'm leaning towards it. Do you think we should?"

"Whatever you decide is ok with me."

* * *

"Christian, Ana, please come in and have a seat." Christian's hand is wrapped around mine as we step into John Flynn's office. We sit on the brown leather sofa while Flynn sits down at the his desk. "How are you?"

"Obviously not good since we're here.", I laugh nervously.

"It's ok baby.", Christian says. "Flynn was only asking in general." Flynn props his chin on his hand and nods. "Things had been going well until an accident happened at the diner where Ana used to work."

"When you called to set up this meeting you said a car ran into the front. You also said no one was seriously hurt which is a good thing."

"A very good thing.", Christian murmurs.

"Ana, what were your feelings as you saw the car go into the building?", Flynn asks. I'm silent for several minutes, not because I don't want to answer the question but because wording my feelings is difficult. "Take your time."

"Shock, fear, worry, anger.", I answer as Christian's right hand covers my left.

"Christian, what about you? What feelings were you experiencing when you learned of the accident?"

"Pretty much the same as Ana in addition to guilt. I felt like I should've been there and dealing with what happened instead of her."

"What both of you are feeling is completely normal in near death experiences whether you're there first hand like Ana or indirectly like Christian. In nanoseconds, your life flashes before you, making you realize how fragile life is."

"You're right on the money.", Christian tells him. "Ana and I have and are continuing to build a life that's vanquished any darkness from my past. Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of my business and where it's at, but my life with Ana is more meaningful. We've got a healthy and beautiful son and..." Even though the conversation is serious, the corners of Christian's mouth curls into a smile. He looks at me for unspoken permission which I grant with a nod. "And another baby on the way."

"Another baby, congratulations. I see what you're saying Christian. Your lives are blessed, and that car running through the diner put those blessings in danger." He opens one of his desk drawers and pulls a stack of dominos which he begins placing on the top of the desk. "Think of each domino as a good thing in your lives." After the all the dominos are set up, he rests a hand next to them. "One thing can come along and ruin everything." He hits the end domino which in turns sends the dominos down one by one. "It's scary seeing that, huh? Your fear is similiar to the one we discussed the last time we met. You were afraid of loss."

"I was and am scared of dying, but my my concern is more for the affect of my loss on Christian and Jamison. I don't want to think about them being without me, and the new baby not getting the chance to see this world."

"Ana and I have come so far, gone through so much to get to where we are, and I don't want to think about living without her. It's not a notion I ever want to have."

"Then don't.", Flynn says seriously. "As I said, it's normal to have these fears, but you can't let them take over your lives. You can't barricade yourselves away from the world. Then you'd be missing out and well...not living. You need to be the ones in control, not the fear and worry." Each word Flynn's saying is slowly seeping in. Being afraid of losing or being lost will make our lives unbearable.

* * *

**C POV**

"Have I missed anything?", I ask Ros after joining her in accounting for the shadowing of Lyle McKibbon. We're standing against the wall by his office door, allowing us to have a clear view of the entire office.

"I haven't been here long myself, but I already know that girl at the far left desk is trouble. Lyle said her name is Donna Baxter. From the records I've seen, she's one of the employees who's called in several times or left early. Lyle informed her that he hadn't received her work from yesterday. She gave him the old "you'll have it today", but I'm doubting that."

"How did he handle it?"

"He told her it was due by three and no later." Lyle opens his door and smiles. "I was catching Mr. Grey up on what he missed."

"I'm doing the best I can. It's not going to be a one day change, but I'm going to get better.", he tells me.

"I was told about the employee who didn't turn in her work yesterday. You gave her until trhee to have it done. What's going to be your course of action if she fails to hand it in?" Donna Baxter takes a quick glimpse at us with a smirk.

"I'm prepared to terminate her if needed. She's always calling in and leaving early with no valid excuse." The topic of conversation gets up and waltzes towards us.

"Mr. McKibbon, here's the work you asked for. I'm sorry for taking so long with it."

"I'll let it go this time, but in the future, all assignments need to be on my desk by the end of the day."

"I would have had it turned in yesterday, but I..um got sidetracked with other things." She's trying to be nice, but I can see she's also trying to get herself off the hook. "Besides, what's one late assignment?" Ros looks as if she's about to add to the conversation, but she refrains herself and allows Lyle to continue.

"If it had been just one work assignment it might not be a big deal, but you've made it a habit. I've been more than fair with you, yet you don't seem fazed by it."

"Fine.", she mumbles. "I'll do better from now on." The sarcasm is dripping in her voice.

"I don't appreciate the tone you're taking with me.", Lyle says calmly.

"No offense Lyle, but you're only acting like this because Mr. Grey and Ms. Bailey are here. Any other time you'd care less about work being turned in on time."

"I've made mistakes with my supervising, and I'm trying to correct them, starting with making sure the work you're paid to do is done." The rest of the department have stopped their work and are now staring at the confrontation. "Please go back to your desk."

"No. She won't be going back to her desk.", I scoff. "Ms. Baxter, please get your things and leave. You're fired." Her eyes cut to Lyle and then Ros.

"You're really going to fire me over something stupid like this? Unbelieveable. I'm one of the best people here. You're going to beg me to come back.", she snaps.

"I don't see that happening.", Ros says, fighting amusement. "We need people who take the job seriously. That's not you." Instead of spewing more insults, Ms. Baxter stomps back to her desk and starts shoving things in her purse.

"I'm sorry. I tried to handle it the best I could.", Lyle sighs. "I'll go as well if you'd like."

"You'll do no such thing. You handled the situation well."

* * *

"Ana?" I call her name and knock on the bedroom door but don't get an answer. When I arrived home, Nancy told me Ana had been resting for the past hour. I ease the door open and use what's left of the daylight to see her on the bed. She's sprawled on her back with her arms tossed out. It doesn't look like a comfortable position, but the lack of movement from her indicates she's resting well. I pad to the bed and slide in next to her with her back to my front.

"What time is it?", she murmurs.

"Its five thirty."

"We've got to be at my dad and Mary's at six thirty. I still need to change clothes and get Jamison fed." I turn on the bedside lamp as she's about to spring to her feet, but I can see the exhaustion in her entire body. "Christian, come on."

"We're not going to the dinner. You are going to rest a while longer while I feed Jamison. Then I'm going to order some take out for us."

"We're expected at dinner.", she murmurs.

"We were expected, but after Nancy told me you weren't feeling well, I called your dad and told him we're not going to make it. I didn't tell him about the baby, only that you've got a stomach virus. He sent his get well wishes."

"I did tell Mary earlier over the phone that I wasn't feeling the best. She called me for Flynn's number."

"Is your dad going as well?", I ask. With a nod, she lays back down. "They're making the right choice."

"It was only this morning when we saw Flynn, but I already feel a lot better emotionally."

"I wish I could help you feel better physically. Do you need me to get anything for you?"

"I'm ok for now."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: First off, Happy New Year everyone! Now on to an issue that's been on my mind. The fan fiction world is a place where I along with other writers come and get out the ideas that take consume our minds. It allows us to express ourselves and also get away from the often harsh world of reality. Sadly there are some who don't get that concept. There are unfortunately people out there who choose to go after writers on a personal level. It's one thing to disagree with a story's content or the writing, but to attack someone and say cruel and spiteful things is another. It's bullying, pure and simple. These people need to grow up and find better things to do. Anyway, here's the next chapter.**

**C POV**

"Ana and I have some news to share." I turn the laptop slightly so Mia and Ben are able to see us better. The two of them have gone to Portland for the weekend to attend Ben's grandmother's eightieth birthday party. Before they left, I called Mia and told her there's some news Ana and I wanted to announce but would wait until later to do so. Persistent as ever, she asked if we'd Skype the news to them. With them on the laptop screen, the rest of our family and friends are standing eagerly by the kitchen table, including Charles who arrived in town only a few hours ago. He's staying with us instead of his usual hotel.

"It's wonderful news.", Ana chimes as Jamison jabbers in her lap.

"I'm sure it is.", Ben replies. "So instead of making us wait not so patiently, why don't you just tell us."

"Yes tell us. Now.", Mia sighs even more impatiently than Mia.

"Hold on a second. I need to use the restroom.", my mom murmurs. She rushes out of the kitchen while Elliot groans in his stool at the breakfast bar. My dad, Ray, and Mary are on the other side of the table from Ana and I are whispering amongst themselves, no doubt trying to guess what the news is.

"If Mom hadn't gulped down that entire glass of water we wouldn't be waiting.", Elliot scoffs. Spencer cocks her head and shoots a scolding look at him. "But if she was that thirsty, then I understand." His relationship with Spencer is still what they've deemed "a work in progress", and from what I've seen that work is proving to be good for them.

"I'm back." My mom returns and plants herself back in her chair. "You may proceed." With a full on grin, I take Ana's hand and nod for her to remove the button up shirt Jamison's wearing. Underneath is a white tee shirt with the words, **I'm Going to be a Big Brother**. The sound of clapping and sobbing accompany the congratulations we get from everyone.

"I had a feeling.", Spencer says. "Ana told me the last few times I've seen or spoken to her that she wasn't feeling well. No offense, but you can only blame it on bad food so many times."

"I'll try and remember that.", Ana giggles.

"I told Mary on the way over you might be going to announce another pregnancy.", Ray says while hugging us.

"This is fantastic.", Charles grins.

"Christian's had a glow lately so I kind of assumed Ana was pregnant.", my dad laughs. My eyes flash to his in curiosity. Ros made the same remark the other day. "Is something wrong son?"

"I don't a glow! Have you been talking to Ros?" All attention in the room goes to my dad who takes his phone out, pretending to scroll through messages. "Dad?"

"I ran into Ros yesterday when I was picking up my dry cleaners. We got to catching up on what's been going on in each of our lives. I began suspecting she wanted to tell me something, yet when I asked her, she only told me to observe your glow. I was baffled at the time, but now it makes sense. She knew already?"

"Ros knew before we did?", Mia sighs. "I'm your little sister who you adore, but you told the baby news to Ros instead."

"I'm sure it wasn't done with ill intentions.", Mary tells Mia.

"Ros figured it out and told me she would keep it to herself which she must have found difficult since she dropped the glow hint with you."

"What matters now is all of you know about our new addtion.", Ana says, trying to get things back on track. "Jamison is going to have a little brother or sister who will be loved by this entire room."

"Uh hello?", Mia giggles on her side of the screen.

"Scratch that. This baby is going to be loved by everyone."

"Riley's going to enjoy having another baby to play with.", Gail says.

"So will Alex.", April adds.

* * *

"What's this?", Ros asks on Monday morning. She's staring with uncertainty at the coffee and small paper sack I've placed on her desk. She carefully opens the sack and pulls out the blueberry scone inside. "You brought me coffee and a scone." I fold my arms and remain standing in front of her desk. "Are you about to fire me?"

"Can't I bring my second in charge and friend coffee and a pastry. Consider it a small thank you for all you do and most importantly, your friendship."

"Well...thank you. I _might_ even apologize for my glowing comment." I unfold my arms and sit down in one of the chairs as she laughs. "I'm sorry, but you know I enjoy messing with you. It's one of my ways of expressing how appreciative I am of your friendship."

"Funny you should mention the glowing. Ana and I announced our news yesterday. My dad told me he saw you the other day." She stops chewing on the piece of scone in her mouth. "You told him to observe my glow."

"Now I'm wondering if you might have poisoned me. The scone doesn't taste weird, but that doesn't mean anything."

"I promise I didn't poison you. Do you want to tell me why you hinted to my dad about the baby?"

"Even though I told you I'm good at keeping secrets, it doesn't mean it's easy. I was so excited about your new baby that I could barely keep my mouth closed. Not wanting to tell your dad, I did the next best thing. I led him in the direction of the secret."

"You're sneaky.", I tell her.

"I never claimed I wasn't. Was everyone there?"

"All but Mia and Ben who were gone to Ben's grandmother's eightieth birthday party. We were going to wait, but Mia wanted us to go ahead. She and Ben were with us on Skype. You should have seen the smiles on all their faces. Charles probably had the biggest grin of all. Now that he's moving to Seattle and another baby is on the way, his family is expanding."

"Has he found a job yet?", Ros asks.

"Not yet, but he's got an interview today. With his experience, he shouldn't have trouble finding a job. He was planning on staying at a hotel this visit, but both Ana and I would hear it. He's going to be here a few days and then will br flying back to New York for a while longer."

* * *

**A POV**

"Elliot and I had sex last night.", Spencer smirks over her water glass. She and I along with Jamison are at my dad and Mary's where we're doing more wedding planning. Thankfully Jamison fell asleep about thirty minutes ago and is now in the crib my dad and Mary have placed in one of the guest bedrooms. I keep my eyes on the wedding checklist. "Did you hear me? I had sex with Elliot last night."

"I did hear you although I'm not sure if now is the right time to be bringing it up. My dad's outside working on the yard, but Mary might still hear you." Mary's on the phone in the den where she's discussing the diner repairs with Elliot. Spencer quickly cuts her eyes to the front door and then around the room to see any sign she was heard.

"Geez. I'm sorry, but it's kind of a big deal. It was the first time we've done it since we got back together. We've been taking things slow, but last night night we found ourselves unable to hold back the emotions. We were in the middle of a simple conversation about how we've been getting along well, and then suddenly it happened. Both of us started breathing heavily and panting. Before I knew it, we were all over each other. Elliot picked me up and carried me to my bed where it gained momentum."

"I get it. You don't have to describe it to me. I've got a baby and another on the way so I get how the whole sex thing works. Your good mood must mean you're glad it happened." I finally look up from the list, placing it on the end table next to the sofa where I'm seated.

"I'm very, very happy it took place. I don't have a bit of regret. This morning, Elliot was getting dressed and not saying anything. I was worried he wished he could take it back. I came out and asked, and he said he was also glad we did it. He was worried I was regretting it."

"You got that out in the open. You're communicating."

"Girls, I'm sorry my phone call took so long. Elliot was going into detail about the materials and other things, and I didn't want to stop him. He's only been working on the diner a few days and already has a lot done."

"Elliot's an expert.", Spencer shrugs.

"Ray and I are have gone by there every day since the accident, but I'm determined to not to do so today. We're meeting with John Flynn at four and going to discuss our feelings with what happened."

"It's going to help both of you.", I tell Mary. "Christian and I were antsy and nervous wrecks before we saw Flynn the other day. Sitting there and opening up about our fears and feelings really helped."

* * *

"This dinner is delicious.", Charles say at the dinner table. "It definitely beats hotel food."

"Eat all you want. There's still plenty.", Christian tells him. "How did your interview go today?"

"It went well. The guy doing the interview seemed impressed with my resume and pleased with my answes to his questions. I should find out by the end of the week whether or not I have the job. After the interview was over, I went to look at an apartment that I saw in the newspaper. It was small. The kitchen and living room were one room, and there wasn't even a bedroom. There was a pull down bed on the living room wall."

"Charles, you're welcome to stay with us now and after you move here.", I say, glancing at Christian for back up.

"Ana's right. It's nice having you here."

"It's nice being here, and while I may take you up on your offer, I don't plan on it being a long stay. A new place will help with my new phase in life." He turns to Jamison's high chair. "I'm thrilled I'm going to be able to spend more time with you and your brother or sister."

"Baba.", Jamison mutters as he reaches for his bottle.

"Oh I uh saw Carol today also." During one of Charles's past visits, we went to the diner where Carol was our waitress. The two of them seemed to get along well, but that was months ago. "She was at the burger place I went to for lunch. I would have invited her to join me, but she was on her way out when I was just getting there. She can't wait to get back to the diner." There's something in his voice as he talks about her. Could he be interested in her?

"Carol's a sweet and nice woman.", I say.

"Yes I agree."

"She's also single I believe.", Christian laughs. "I'm just saying in the event you might want be interested in her."

"I'll see."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"The balloons are going to be ready tomorrow at twelve thirty, and the cake is to be picked up at one so we can make one trip." Pacing the living room floor, I continue mentally trying to figure out what else needs to be done for tomorrow. It's a monumental day, Jamison's first birthday. We're celebrating with a zoo animal theme. My eyes float down to my sweet boy who's sitting in Christian's lap. "Mommy and Daddy are going to make sure it's the perfect day."

"Tell Mommy you already know it's going to be perfect.", Christian softly says to Jamison before meeting my eyes with his. "Ana, why don't you sit down and rest? You were up sick twice last night."

"I'm fine.", I tell him. When he doesn't seem convinced, I give in and move into the arm chair across from him and Jamison. "Ok. I'm sitting and going to rest for a bit. Then I'll get back to party planning. You can go and do some work if you'd like." Despite my insistance that I'd be fine dealing with some of the birthday planning while he was at work, Christian took the day off, saying he wanted to spend it with us.

"I've already made it clear to Ros that I'm not going to be at the office today and not to send anything work related to me."

"Make sure you keep to that.", Charles laughs as he joins us. After his interview Monday, the wait to find out if the job was his was short. He was called early Tuesday and told he was hired. He had considered making a quick trip back to New York and then returning tomorrow in time for the party, but he decided to hold off and leave after the party is over. His return to New York will only be long enough to get his things together and close out his place there. "Ana, your dad and Mary wil be tying the knot in only two more weeks, right?"

"Yes.", I sigh happily. "Most of the wedding planning is done. It's going to be simple and romantic just like my dad and Mary wanted."

"Charles, Carol's going to the wedding.", Christian says. Matchmaker Grey is determined to fix Charles and Carol up. I have to say, I think they could very well be good together. "And you're going to the wedding. The two of you could save gas and go together."

"I know you're trying your best to get me together with Carol, but you're forgetting one key thing, Carol might not be interested in me.", Charles shrugs, sitting down on the love seat. "She seems to like me as a person, but liking me as more is entirely different. The last thing I want is to make a fool out of myself."

"Now _you're_ forgetting something. If you don't try, you won't know. It could fail, but it could also work out." Charles leans back in his seat and nods in silence. "I'm sorry if I'm across as being too pushy. It's not my intent. I know Ella is still in your heart and will always be there, but you deserve to find love again."

"It's not like I haven't tried. When I married my ex-wife Paulina a few years ago I went in not feeling the same kind of love I had for Ella, but I thought maybe it would grow. I was wrong."

"That doesn't mean you're never going to find someone to love like that. To me, it means you and Paulina just weren't meant to be.", I tell him as Jamison smiles at Charles. "You can't live in the past."

* * *

"Christian said you were in here resting.", April says, padding into the living room where I'm stretched out on the sofa.

"Did I doze off and not hear you come through the door?"

"I was at Uncle Taylor and Gail's and wanted to see you so I came in through the door in the kitchen. Bryce followed me with Alex and is now in the kitchen with Christian, Jamison, and Charles."

"Did Christian ask you to report back on whether or not I'm actually resting?", I giggle while pulling myself up on the cushion.

"He didn't." I arch a brow to her response. "I promise he didn't, but he did say he felt you overdid it today. From how tired your eyes look, he was right."

"I've just been trying to get the birthday party together. Jamison's only going to turn one once, and I want the party to be memorable. The nausea I've been experiencing hasn't helped. It's worse this pregnancy than the last."

"Ana, if you need me to help in any way, let me know."

"I appreciate that and might take you up on your offer. Can you help us decorate?", I ask.

"Yes ma'am.", she laughs with a salute. "I'm good at decorating. What time should I be here?"

"The party starts at two so twelve thirty. Christian's going to be gone to pick up the cake and balloons, but I'll be here with the rest of the decortations. I've got little tigers and lions to place on the tables as well as a banner with different animals."

"Awww, so cute."

"Jamison's got a blue shirt with a red number one on the front. Elliot used to tease Christian all the time about time flying, and now it feels like it's speeding up." I dab the tears in the corners of both eyes while April starts crying with me.

"You talking about Jamison turning one makes me dread Alex being one." I sniffle and see Christian and Bryce standing in the doorway with puzzled faces. Jamison toddles past Christian and to me as Alex cries for April. "Here's our little guys." Bryce moves from his spot and into the living room, placing Alex in April's arms.

"Why are you two crying?", Christian questions. He sits on the other end of the sofa.

"We're just thinking about the boys getting older.", April replies.

"Please don't do that.", Bryce murmurs. "Let's enjoy the here and now." He bends and kisses April's lips.

* * *

**C POV**

"Where's the birthday boy?" Ben holds his hand over his eye during his "search" for Jamison who's standing right in front of him. "Mia, have you seen him?"

"I haven't." Thinking he's being ignored, Jamison begins whining. "There he is." Mia scoops Jamison up and kisses his cheeks before handing the baby over to Ben. "Jamison, this time last year I was seeing you for the first time, and now we're going to be having birthday cake together."

"I have to get the cake first along with the balloons. You can come with me if you'd like Ben."

"I think April and Bryce are going to be here soon to help put up some of the decorations.", Ana says. "Have you talked to Elliot or Spencer?" Mia and Ben each grimace. "What?"

"I wouldn't count on Elliot or Spencer being here until the actual start time for the party. Ben and I went by Spencer's on our way to see if Elliot was there so we could ask them to ride with us."

"Elliot was there.", Ben groans. "And the door was unlocked." Silence falls upon the room until all eyes widen in recognition to what Ben's alluding to. "They didn't see us, but we saw them."

"I'd bleach my eyes out, but I figured I wouldn't be able to see everything going on at Jamison's party.", Mia says. "Ana, point me to where I'm needed." Dressed in a white sundress with a yellow rose on the front, Ana stands and nods for Mia to follow her into the kitchen. The sun's rays are streaming through the curtains and shining on Ana, making her look even more like an angel than usual. My angel.

"Nancy's making some dip from a recipe she had, and I figured we could go ahead and lay chips and cookies on some of the trays. It's going to be basic snacks along with the cake."

"Baby, Ben and I are going to go. We'll be back soon." Jamisn hands reach out to me while Ana begins taking him from Ben. "You can't go baby boy. Daddy and Ben are going to go and get your cake and balloons. When we get back, we're going to have your party."

"Daddy won't be gone long.", Ana whispers to Jamison who calms down in no time.

"Where's Charles?", Ben asks once we're on the way to the SUV. Taylor who's been outside with Gail and Riley rushes over and goes to the driver's seat.

"He went to my parents' for a while.", I answer, thinking how some might see it as odd that my biological dad is friends with my adoptive parents, but I don't see it like that at all. They get along well which is great for everyone. We get into the SUV and start out down the driveway and on to the road. "I can't believe I'm going to pick up my son's first birthday cake. It's kind of surreal."

"Tell me about his cake."

"It's two layers with light blue icing. Multicolored dots and stars surround each layer. A zebra and a giraffe are on the bottom layer, and the a lion is on the top along with a number one."

* * *

"I don't think we could've had better weather than what we have today.", Elliot says. All of the guests have arrived and made their way to the backyard where the party is being held. The sun is out in full force along with a moderate temperature of about eighty.

"Jamison, you've got a crowd of people here.", Gail tells him while I'm sitting at the main table with him in my lap. Taylor's standing next to her with Riley who's just woken up from her nap

"Of course he has a crowd. The boy is loved by more people than can be counted.", Taylor laughs.

"Have you guys seen Ana?", I ask, roaming my eyes around the backyard with Ana not to be found.

"She went inside to the bathroom.", Spencer answers. I'm about to get up but see Ana and Mary step out of the house. "There she is." Ana slowly sits down in the chair next to me. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better now.", Ana sighs. She elbows me and moves her eyes to Charles and Carol who are immersed in a conversation. "They're getting along well."

"It appears that way." I'm silently doing a fist pump in hopes they'll work out. "Mom?", I call to my mom. She leaves the spot where she and my dad have been talking to April and Bryce. "I think we're going to do the cake now." Ana and I weren't sure how we wanted to handle the cake until my mom made the suggestion that all of the grandparents could carry it. Even though it's not a huge cake, each grandparent is going to have a hand on it on the way to the table. It was also her idea to have Mary and Charles included in it. That led to some happy tears.

"Everyone, we're about to serve the cake.", my mom announces. She and the other grandparents go to the side table where the cake is placed and gently lift it. I look down at Jamison's eyes that are glued to the cake.

"Let's sing!", Ros shouts. The yard fills with the voices of everyone singing happy birthday to Jamison. As it winds down, Ana places her head on my shoulder and takes a deep breath. My dad places a single candle on the top of the cake, but Jamison crinkles his nose at it.

"Mommy and Daddy will help with your candle.", I tell him. "As you all can see, today's a big day. We're here celebrating the milestone of Jamison turning one. He's grown so much this past year, but one thing that hasn't and won't ever change is the love for him. Ana and I want to thank all of you for not only being here but also sharing in that love."

"It really, truly means the world to us.", Ana says. "Let's take care of this candle, shall we?" Together, we blow out the candle and hear everyone clapping,including Jamison.

"Happy birthday baby boy."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"Talk to me." I wave for Taylor and Barney to disuss the plans for the new SUVs I'm buying. Both men sit down and place papers on my desk.

"That's a run down of what each vehicle is going to be equipped with.", Taylor replies. "Barney's installed a state of the art security system on each. There's a camera system that'll allow the drivers to communicate with one another."

"The GPS and tracking systems are beyond anything out on the market today. I created them specifically for you.", Barney adds. "The range of the tracking is capable of going to the other side of the state."

"The windows and bodies are bullet and fire proof."

"I'm impressed.", I tell them. Upgrading the SUVs is something I've been wanting to do for a while, but I've een waiting on Barney to develop the technology to make it happen. "When can they be ready?" Taylor taps his chin and glances at Barney who appears to be doing mental calculations.

"By the end of next week.", Barney answers. "I can try and push for the middle of the week if you'd like."

"That won't be necessary. The end of next week is fine."

"I'll get things rolling then."

"Thank you.", I say as Barney stands and heads out of the office. Taylor's still sitting in his chair and rubbing his eyes. "Are you all right?"

"Riley didn't want to sleep last night. She's usually good about keeping to her schedule but not last night. Gail said it might have been because of the full moon.", Taylor laughs. "When is Charles supposed to be back?"

"He should be on his way back as we speak. I might see him briefly after work, but he's got a date with Carol tonight so the time will be limited." As I had hoped, Charles and Carol spent a large amount of time talking at Jamison's birthday party the other day. Charles asked her out for dinner once he returns from New York.

"I observed them together at the party and saw both stealing glances while the other wasn't looking. They reminded me of two teenagers just starting out."

"Mr. Grey, Donna Baxter is asking to see you.", Hannah says after opening the office door. Donna Baxter was fired from the accounting department a few weeks ago but hasn't been heard from since so I wonder why she's now here.

"Send her in." Taylor gets up and nods to the door, indicating he's leaving. As he's about to step out of the office, Donna Baxter walks in. Once Taylor's closed the door behind him, she moves closer to my desk. "Ms. Baxter, what brings you here?"

"Well Mr. Grey, I'm here to apologize for my behavior a few weeks ago. I was disrespectful and out of line. I shouldn't have acted in such a way towards Lyle. He was only doing his job." She straightens her body and places her arms at her sides.

"Thank you for your apology, but unfortunately, it's too late to say you're sorry. What's been done has been done.", I reply.

"Can I please sit for a moment and explain further?" I'm trying to determine what she feels she needs to explain. Wanting to hear what's probably a poor excuse, I wave to one of the chairs. "Thanks. The reason why I acted the way I did is simple. I wasn't being challenged."

"I believe many would argue and say the work done in accounting is more than challenging."

"I'm not going to refute that, but I've always been an overachiever. I'll set goals and meet them in no time, only to find myself bored until I find the next goal. I'm constantly setting the bar and then leaping over it."

"You're saying you were bored.", I point out. "It's a good thing you're no longer employeed here then."

"You see, that's why I'm here. I need a job that'll challenge me.", she smiles while crossing her legs. "I believe that I can be beneficial to your senior staff." I had an idea she was here to ask for her job back, but to ask for a upper level job is ridiculous. "Ms. Bailey seems like a wonderful person, and I could be work alongside her."

"And who's to say that won't bore you eventually?", I scoff.

"I'm sure you could always find more to challenge me." Her lips curve into a smile, making me wonder if there's an ulterior motive here. "What do you say?"

"I say no. It doesn't matter that you were bored with your old position. What matters is the way you treated your boss. You disrespected him over and over."

"I regret that. I also promise I will never treat another boss like that, especially you. I have the greatest amount of respect for you and not just in business. Your charity and environmental work are inspiring. I see the kind of person I'd like to become."

"There are many organizations in the city in which you can volunteer. Helping the environment can be done by the smallest things such recycling and not littering. To be honest, you're wasting your time here." She stares at me for several moments before rising from her seat.

"If there's _anything_ I can do to change your mind, I'm sure my information is still on record.", she purrs. "Thank you for your time Mr. Grey." She spins around and saunters out of the room. I'm about to start back on my work when April knocks softly.

"Taylor told Hannah and I that Donna was fired a few weeks ago.", April says.

"Yeah, and she came here today for a upper level job." April's eyes widen. "That's the expression I had too.", I murmur. "I told her no."

"I don't know the woman, but I got a vibe from her. She seems like trouble."

"I agree and don't plan on having that trouble around."

* * *

"I think I'm going to stop and get Carol some flowers.", Charles says. He and I are hanging out in the living room before he leaves for his date with Carol. "I don't want anything over the top, but I also don't want bland."

"Get one single red rose.", Ana tells him as she comes down the stairs. My eyes glide down her body, from her eyes to her feet. I make sure she touches each step. She trudges to the sofa and snuggles next to me. "I happen to have it on good authority that Carol likes roses, specifically red ones."

"There you go.", I smile. "You're clearly nervous, but you need to relax. Don't think of it as a date. Think of it as dinner between two people who enjoy each other's company." Charles glances at his watch and stands.

"I should get going. I won't be out too late."

"Have a good time." He takes a deep breath and walks out of the house. "I never thought I'd be giving my long lost birth father dating advice.", I laugh. "I kind of feel like I'm going to be the parent waiting on his son to return from his first date."

"You can wait up as long as you'd like, but I plan on getting to be early tonight. I'm worn out.", Ana mutters. "Jamison's going to be home soon and no doubt be wanting to make up for being gone." Jamison's spending a few hours with my parents but will be home soon. "He was into everything earlier."

"He's very curious.", I shrug. I turn and see she's closed her eyes. "Ana, why don't you go on to bed?"

"Not yet. I want to see Jamison when he gets home." I watch as her entire body stills, and she gives in to her needed slumber.

* * *

**A POV**

"I feel as though I slept a hundred years.", I say sleepily while walking into the kitchen. Christian's already eating his omelet and feeding Jamison while Nancy's doing dishes at the sink. She looks over her shoulder and waves at me.

"Does that mean you're well rested?" I go to the cabinet and grab a box of cereal and bowl and then get the milk out of the fridge. "Ana, Nancy can make you something for breakfast."

"I can make an omelet for you or pancakes. If you'd rather have waffles, I can make those.", Nancy smiles.

"I'm in a cereal mood today.", I shrug. At the table, I lean in and kiss Jamison's cheek as he giggles. "Good morning sweet boy."

"Mama.", he coos, watching me sit down next to him.

"I must have been out of it last night because I don't even remember seeing Jamison return or going to bed." Christian places a quick bite of his toast in his mouth and grins. "I fell asleep."

"You were out of it. I considered waking you up but decided against it. I carried you to the bedroom and got you ready for bed. After Mom and Dad brought Jamison home, I put him in his crib."

"I didn't get to tell him goodnight.", I sigh. "I've not gone a night without telling him." The cereal in front of me is suddenly unappetizing.

"I understand why you might be upset, but you were exhausted. You needed that sleep. Don't be hard on yourself. Ok?"

"Ok." Picking up my spoon, my eyes go to the empty chairs at the table. "Is Charles still sleeping?"

"Um...no. He's not here."

"Did he not come home?"

"He did. He was already having coffee when I woke up. We talked about his date which he said went well. In fact, he and Carol are having breakfast as we speak before he goes to fill out some paperwork for the new job."

"It sounds like his day is already off to a good start."

"I hope mine goes well also or at least better than yesterday.", Christian murmurs, raising his coffee to his lips. "I didn't have a chance to tell you last night, but I had a visit from Donna Baxter, a former member of the accounting staff. She was relieved of her job a few weeks ago after basically not doing the work and being disrespectful. Yesterday, she showed up at my office and asked for a job at the senior level."

"Doesn't she know people either get those positions from the experience or working their way up?"

"She claimed she was adequate enough for the work, but the way she was talking to me made me get the feeling she was after more than a job." Christian's left brow goes up, and I know exactly what he's referring to.

"You.", I growl. "She had some audacity showing up at your office and making a play for you."

"She was trying to be covert, but the words she was saying is what told me otherwise. She said she would do _anything_ to change my mind. I told her there wasn't."

"You should've told her you're a happily married man who doesn't have time for nasty little..." Hearing Jamison's giggles brings me back to reality and stops me from going further with my words. "You get the idea."

"You're right. I should've."

"If you hear anything else from her, you'll let me know?"

"I promise."

* * *

"When you called and asked me to meet you here, I had no idea I would be seeing this." I point to the diner which is now fully repaired and looking better than ever. Mary's standing next to me with a teeth baring grin. "I assume you're pleased with the outcome."

"Ana, I'm more than pleased. Seeing this not only makes me look forward to reopening but also to the future. It's kind of symbolic to new beginnings. Elliot did a fantastic job." With his ears buring, Elliot walks from his truck where he was packing away his tools. "Elliot, I was raving to Ana about you. I'm so grateful that you were able to get the place looking even better than before."

"You're welcome. It wasn't a lot of work, but I see how much the place means to you so I wanted to make sure everything was just right.", he replies. "I hate to cut things short, but I've got to head out to another site. I'll see you guys later."

"Bye Elliot.", I wave as he gets in his truck and leaves. "Now that the diner is ready, all you have to do is concentrate on the wedding which is in one week."

"I can't wait to walk down the aisle and say I do to your dad. It's going to be the best day of my life." She opens the diner door and leads us inside to the empty diner. "We're going to open back up in the morning, but I was thinking about having a grand reopening celebration in a few weeks. It'll be after the honeymoon." Christian and I have already given my dad and Mary one of their gifts from us, a honeymoon to the Bahamas. "I kind of feel bad leaving for a week while everyone takes care of the diner."

"Don't you dare try and get out of the honeymoon. The two of you deserve that week even though I wish you would take the two weeks Christian and I suggested." We sit down in one of the booths as Mary shakes her heads.

"Two weeks in the Bahamas sounds like heaven, but we can still do the newlywed thing here in Seattle. Look at you and Christian. You two are as in love now as the two you were married."

"And it keeps gets stronger. We've had our issues, but what matters is we've worked through them...together." I trust Christian and know he would never cheat, but it still pisses me off to think about that girl from yesterday.

"Are you ok?", Mary asks.

"Um...yeah. I was just thinking I need to be going soon. I fell asleep last night without saying goodnight to Jamison, and I feel terrible about it so I should get home and spend some time with him." Just as Grace did yesterday, Mia asked if she could watch Jamison today. I'm starting to wonder if there's more going on.

* * *

"He was perfect.", Mia smiles after I arrive at her and Ben's apartment. Jamison runs and holds his arms up for me. "But he missed you."

"I missed him too. Mommy missed you. Mia, I need to know something."

"Sure. What?", she asks as I run my hands through Jamison's copper hair.

"Did you and Grace plan the spending time with Jamison thing?" Mia shifts her eyes from me and to every corner of the living room, avoiding further eye contact with me. "You did."

"First of all, we really do like spending time with him. He's the sweetest little boy. As far as it being planned, it was with good intentons. Both Mom and I have noticed how tired you are lately, and we wanted to help by watching Jamison. We figured a few hours yesterday and today would be good." Mia and Grace may have not been upfront, but they had good intentions.

"I thank you for that. I was zapped yesterday, and today I've been feeling fine. Tomorrow might be another tiresome day."

"My money is on the baby being a girl. My instinct is telling me it's a girl."

"I sort of think that too, but it doesn't matter whether it's a boy or a girl. I just want a healthy baby."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"Carol, are you and Charles going to the wedding together?", Spencer asks with a knowing grin. Carol continues filling the napkin dispenser at the end of the counter, showing no signs of answering the question. Spencer whirls around on her stool and faces me with the same face. "I think she's avoiding me."

"What ever made you think that?", I giggle from the stool next to her. Jamison's sitting in my lap and jiggling his plastic toy keys. "Are you wanting to drive? You've got a little time before you can."

"He's so cute.", Carol says as she looks over at me.

"How come you responded to her but acted as if you didn't hear me?", Spencer scoffs. "A simple yes or no will suffice." Carol places the rest of the rest of the napkins under the counter and nods. "Or a nod. I knew when I saw you and Charles at Jamison's party you had a connection. Then Ana told me your date went well."

"Actually, it was a date and also a breakfast which some might see as also being a date. Anyway, yes, we're going to the wedding together." Mary finishes waiting on an elderly couple at the back of the diner and walks over to us.

"Spencer, are you giving Carol a hard time?", Mary asks.

"Of course not. I'm merely asking her about Charles. Mary, don't you think they're adorable together?" Carol's face is as red as the ketchup bottle that Carol's placing on top of the counter. "She's blushing which in my experience means she really likes him."

"How about we turn the table on you for a second...Spencer?", I say. "What's made you so interested in Carol's love life? It's like Mia's curiosity has rubbed off on you. Have you forgotten about the little manipulation she did with you and Elliot?" Spencer's face flattens at the remembrance of Mia's fib that Elliot had taken another girl's number and Spencer was going on a date with her coworker.

"Even though she had good intentions, I wish she hadn't done that.", Spencer muttered. "I'm sorry for giving you a hard time Carol. I guess being in a good place with Elliot has me wanting the same for everyone."

"And now you're sounding like me."

"Spencer, it's fine.", Carol tells her. "I know your heart is in the right place." She grabs a set of menus and head to a table where a blonde haired woman has just sat down."

Although the diner has been reopened only a week, but Mary believes it mostly due to the weather which has been been gloomy the past two days. It's done nothing but rain, rain, and rain some more. I catch Mary staring towards the door where the steady downpour is visible.

"The weather will be much better on your wedding day. You and my dad are meant to have a sunny day. Spencer, will you watch Jamison while I go to the restroom?"

"Sure. Come see Aunt Spencer." She makes faces while taking him from my arms. I get off my stool and start to the restroom, but I'm accidentally bumped into as I get to the last table. "I'm sorry." Bryce and Sawyer who had been seated at one of the back tables are at my side in seconds.

"No, I'm the one who's sorry. I'm such a klutz." I see the apology is coming from the blonde who must be on her way back from the restroom. "Plus I'm rushing from checking my makeup. A friend set me up with a friend of a friend, and I wanted to make sure I looked decent. Listen to me rambling. I'm sorry for bumping into you. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine.", I asssure her. "Accidents happen."

"Yeah. I'll let you get to the restroom." She moves past me and goes back to her table as I once again try for the restroom.

* * *

"How was work?", Christian asks Charles during dinner. Charles dabs the corner of his mouth with the linen napkin and smiles.

"It was good. I was a little apprehensive about being in a new job, but everyone was welcoming."

"That certainly makes things easier.", I say while adjusting Jamison's bib.

"Carol texted me on my lunch break to check in on me. It was a nice gesture."

"She was blushing over you today at the diner. You've decided to go to the wedding together?" Christian holds his fork midair after hearing this. He seems pleased that Carol is accopanying Charles to the wedding.

"I asked her over the phone last night."

"That's right.", Christian murmurs. "You were talking to her when Ana and I were calling it a night. Just how long did the two of you stay on the phone?"

"Longer than we had planned. We kind of lost track of time. I think it was about midnight or so.", Charles shrugs, cutting into his chicken.

"And it was about ten when we went to bed."

"Christian, give him a break.", I giggle, but Charles is laughing with me.

"I'm going to go and call her now.", Charles announces as he pushes his chair back and leaves the room. Christian resembles a cheshire cat as he goes back to his plate.

"Where you going to tell me about the woman bumping into you at the diner?", he asks.

"It was an accident, and she was very sincere with her apology."

"You should've told me instead of me finding out from Bryce. After he accidentally bumped into the wall in the living room, he made the comment of, "Today must be clumsy day." I asked what he meant, and he told me about the woman at the diner. He also added she apologized."

"Which is what I told you so I don't understand why you're so upset about it." I get out of my chair and pick up Jamison who's face is covered with half of his dinner. "Let's get you cleaned up." On my way out of the kitchen, I feel gray eyes following me and then hear his footsteps trailing behind.

"You're just going to walk away from me?", he snaps.

"I'm going to clean Jamison up, and then we can talk about this a little more.", I say over my shoulder.

* * *

**C POV**

Lying on the bed, I try to keep my composure while Ana indulges me in her undressing. She pulls her pink cotton pajama shirt over her head and then steps into the matching pants. I'm pissed at her, but my body is yearning to touch her. She cleaned Jamison up after dinner and then along with me got him into bed, but our discussion from earlier has yet to be revisited. She gets on the bed and shifts on her elbows to face me.

"Can we talk now?", I ask, using a calmer voice than earlier. "I'm sorry for overreacting. I worry about you."

"I'm sorry too. I didn't think at first not telling you would be a big deal, but as we were getting Jamison to sleep, I realized I should've been told you. You had that gleam in your eye, the one you always have when you look at him. You were worried about the baby."

"And you. I was worried about both of you." She reaches over and brushes her hand against my cheek. Then, just as quickly as she touched me, she hops off the bed and hurries to the bathroom. The sound of her getting sick goes to my ears as I get out of bed. She stops, catches her breath, and resumes her vomitting. I open the closet and grab a wash cloth, wetting it and then placing it on her forehead.

"I...think...I'm...done.", she stammers. I understand nausea is part of pregnancy, but it's been more frequent this time. She sits in the floor for a while before holding her hand up to me. I help pull her up to the floor and nestle her against my body until she breaks away and applies toothpaste to her toothbrush.

"I could help with that.", I shrug.

"Carrying me to bed and giving me a wash cloth are acceptable, but I draw the line at you brushing my teeth. I can do it myself. Stand back and observe." I lean against the door frame as she starts brushing her teeth. With neither of us able to hold a straight face, she accidentally spits the toothpaste out on to the floor.

"You were saying?"

"You distracted me."

When she's finished, I once again pull her to me and keep her by my side the entire way back to the bed. I help her get underneath the covers and kiss her soft lips. Getting into bed, I look over and see her eyes are already closed.

"Sleep well baby."

* * *

"Christian, you and I need to talk." Bryce cuts his eyes to my study. Whatever he needs to talk to me about must be important for him to immediately do it after arriving at the house. I look towards the kitchen where Ana's deep in conversation with Gail and Nancy.

"You either won the lottery or have something important to discuss."

"My parents watched Alex last night while April and I went out. It's been hard getting alone time while taking care of the baby. It was a good night. We had dinner and then a movie. It felt like it had been forever since I've seen a movie in the theater. I savored each piece of the popcorn."

"I'm glad you had a nice evening, but you dragged me in here just to tell me that?", I sigh as I start towards the door.

"That's not why. As we were leaving the theater, April saw a blonde haired woman entering. April's nostrils flared at the woman who didn't see us. She said the woman was a former employee at GEH. Her name is Donna Baxter, and she approached you for an upper level job." I still can't believe the nerve of that woman, coming into my office and not only asking for a senior job but also making suggestive comments to me.

"Yeah. After April saw her leaving my office, she told me she got a vibe from her. I'm not sure what the fuck she thought she was going to accomplish, but she was wasting her time."

"April seeing this Donna woman connects with Ana being bumped into at the diner." Bryce runs his hands through his hair and takes a seat on the leather sofa. "It was her." My knuckles tighten together.

"What do you mean it was her?", I snarl.

"The woman who "accidentally" bumped into Ana was Donna Baxter. Yesterday, both Sawyer and I along with Ana thought it was nothing, but now I'm having doubts."

"You're saying it's possible Donna Baxter intentionally bumped into Ana?"

"I'm leaning towards its being on purpose."

"Son of a bitch!"


	17. Chapter 17

**C POV**

"What time is she going to be there?", Ana asks after pouring herself a glass of orange juice. She sits back down at the table which Nancy has just cleared the breakfast dishes from.

"Nine. I asked for her to be there at eight, but she said it would nine before she could."

"I still think I should go with you. I have a right to know what she's up to. The woman made a pass at you and then turned around and "accidentally" bumped into me." Ana's been rightfully upset after I told her last night the woman who bumped into her at the diner was Donna Baxter. Not wanting to wait around for answers, I called Ms. Baxter for a meeting in my office. I've also instructed Welch to find whatever he can on her while security keeps tabs on her.

"You're not going, and that's final. The last thing I need is for you to get riled up even more. Besides, you have last minute wedding details to attend to." On a lighter note, Ray and Mary's wedding is tomorrow afternoon. "Baby, I know this isn't what you want to be dealing with, but please let me find out more."

"Fine.", she shrugs. "But you have to promise me something in return. You'll have Taylor in the office with you. I'm not requesting it because I don't trust you. It's her I don't trust." A mistake on my behalf during the last meeting with Donna Baxter was not having Taylor in the room. I should have had him there as a witness if needed.

"He's already been informed."

"Mama.", Jamison coos over the baby monitor. He was sleeping peacefully when Ana and I came downstairs so she decided not to wake up.

"It sounds like someone is awake." Ana starts to stand, but I place my hand on the table.

"You stay here and drink your juice, and I'll get him." I scoot my chair back until Taylor and Bryce walk into the room. Ana moves her eyes to them and back to me with a raised brow. "On second thought, I need to talk to Taylor and Bryce for a few minutes." She stands, kisses my cheek, and then strides out of the kitchen. "Morning guys. Where's Sawyer?"

"He texted and said he's running late.'", Taylor replies. "I thought for a while I might be late as well. Riley spit up on my shirt so I changed, only to discover the new shirt was missing a button. It's been one of those days already."

"I suspect your day will be about the same if not worse after you meet with Donna Baxter.", Bryce says while pouring a cup of coffee.

"I highly doubt I'll be smiling after I talk to her.", I mutter. "She'll probably try and play innocent by saying bumping into Ana was purely accidental, but I'm not going to listen. I'm going to demand the truth."

"How many times did Ana try to convince you to let her go?", Taylor smirks. He turns and takes the coffee from Bryce's hand. Bryce stares at Taylor and then goes to pour yet another cup of coffee.

"She asked but didn't push the issue very much."

"There's Daddy.", Ana says as she walks into the room with Jamison. His arms immediatly go out to me.

"Good morning buddy. Did you sleep well?" He grins and grabs my tie. "You like Daddy's tie, huh? Guess what? You'll be wearing your own tie tomorrow for the wedding."

"And you're going to look so adorable.", Ana tells him.

* * *

"Mr. Grey, your appointment is here.", Taylor says. Dressed in a way too tight red dress, Donna Baxter struts past Taylor and into my office. She looks over her shoulder at Taylor, expecting him to leave, but he simply closes the door and moves to the chair diagonally from my desk.

"He's staying if that's what you're wondering.", I say. "Have a seat." She purses her lips and sits down.

"I was a tad shocked when you called, but I'm glad. Now then Mr. Grey, what kind of a job do you have for me?", she smirks.

"I don't and will never have one for you. The reason I asked you here today is for answers. You had lunch yesterday at a diner, correct?"

"Yes. What about it?"

"While you were there you bumped into a woman, my wife specifically. The reason why I asked you here today is to find out why you bumped into her." She shakes her head and giggles. "Something amusing?"

"The crazy notion I did it on purpose is amusing. As I told your wife, I tend to be clumsy. I immediately felt awful about what happened and apologized to her. For you to sit there and accuse me of setting it up is ridiculous."

"So you're going to sit there and say it was a coincidence after what you said in here the other day?" She appears to be confused. "You were suggesting that I take you on as more than an employee."

"Is that what you think I was saying or is that what you want to believe I was saying? Mr. Grey, I assure you I had the best of intentions the other day although you might be the one who's got his mind on other things. Perhaps the reason why you wanted me here today is to just see me. You might also have asked your security guy to stay because you're worried about what might happen if you're alone with me." What the fuck is this woman talking about? I grip the front of my desk and lean forward.

"You couldn't be more wrong. I don't want you in _any_ capacity. You need to get that into your head and stop thinking there's something here. I only wanted you here to find out answers about yesterday. I'm only going to warn you once. Stay away from my wife. I can and will make your life a living hell if you ignore me."

"Are you threatening me?", she scoffs as she stand and runs her tongue over her lips. "I won't go near her. If you'll excuse me, I have a job interview. Have a good day Mr. Grey." She rolls her eyes on her way past Taylor and to the door. After she's gone, Taylor looks at me.

"Do you believe her?", he asks.

"Not at all. Make sure she's being watched at all times."

* * *

**A POV**

"Mrs. Grey, I know all the attention is supposed to be on the bride, but all of mine is going to be on you.", Christian whispers into my ear. He and I are having a moment alone in the study before we go to my dad and Mary's sides. His hand glides along the back of my sky blue sundress. The dress goes with the simplicity of the wedding which is set to begin in only an hour.

"We can't be doing this now. I need to go and check on Mary, and you need to go to my dad." His lips argue with me as they crash on to mine. The intensity of the kiss makes me wobble back in my heels. "Whoa." He secures his arms around me and keeps me on my feet. Despite Donna Baxter being a thorn in our sides, all attention today stays on my dad and Mary. "You turn me into jelly."

"I try.", he laughs. A tap echoes against the door. "Yes?"

"Christian, is Ana in there with you?", Charles asks.

"I am.", I answer while opening the door. "Am I needed?"

"Both Mary and Ray are looking for you." Guilt washes across my face. I give Christian a quick kiss and step into the living room where my dad's now standing." Mary's getting ready in one of the guest rooms upstairs, but my dad decided to get ready at Taylor and Gail's.

"Dad, I thought you were over at Taylor and Gail's." With a grin, his eyes go to the stairs. "You're not going upstairs. Mary's up there, and you could possibly see her which is a no no." Christian emerges from the study and goes to pick up Jamison who's toddling from the kitchen with Carrick trailing. Our sweet baby boy is cute as a button in his white dress shirt, blue dress pants, and light blue tie. My dad joins me in admiring Jamison before turning back to me.

"I'm going to get him some juice.", Christian says before going back to the kitchen with Jamison, Carrick, and Charles.

"I just wanted to see you before it was time to go outside. Do I look ok?", he stammers.

"You look very handsome.", I reply with tears. He's wearing a light blue suit with a white and blue pinstripe tie. "Are you nervous?"

"More like anxious. I can't wait to see Mary walking down that aisle. Annie, after your mother and Natalie passed away, I didn't think I would ever find contentment or true happiness again. A part of my heart was left hollow. Meeting Mary changed that. I still and will always love your mother, but Mary makes me happy."

"There's not a doubt in my mind that both Mom and Natalie are looking down right now with smiles. Mary's a wonderful woman who has brought so much joy and light into your life." He holds his arms open and wraps them around me. "I love you Dad."

"I love you too sweetheart." Both of us sniffle throughout the embrace until finally breaking away. "I'd better let you go to Mary. I'll see you outside." Following one last glimpse at the stairs, he leaves the room.

I make my way upstairs to the room where Mary's getting dressed. She's standing in front of the full length mirror and running her hands down her sleeveless lace and chiffon dress. It has ruched chiffon shoulder straps and a lace scalloped square neckline. Ruched chiffon trim lines the bodice while an attached back flowing sweep train tops off the dress.

"I'm sorry for disappearing for a while.", I tell her. "You're stunning."

"Thank you.", she smiles. "I've tried this dress on several times already, but it feels completely different being in it today. I guess it's because today's the day. Am I smiling too much?"

"You're fine and only expressing your feelings. I was downstairs with my dad a few minutes ago. He can't wait to see you but most of all become your husband. I told him how happy I am for the two of you, and I meant it from the bottom of my heart."

"I told myself I wasn't going to cry until after the wedding, but it's hard." She catches a tear before it rolls down her cheek as Carol opens the door.

"Everyone is in place and ready for the bride.", Carol says. Carol's serving as the only bridemaid while I pull double duty. I'm the maid of honor and also will be walking Mary down the aisle since her parents are deceased. "Did I mention how handsome Charles is today?"

"You might have a few times earlier.", I giggle. "How about we go and have a wedding?"

* * *

Downstairs, Jamison's standing still with the small satin pillow in his hands. The rings, however, are in Christian's pocket and the small blue satin clutch I'm carrying. Carol opens the door and whispers for Jamison to walk towards Chrisian whose eyes meet mine. He steps out as Canon in D is played on the guitar by Bryce. All of our family and friends are smiling from their seats. While Jamison makes it to Christian and my dad, Carols walks out, blushing at Charles. Then it's time for Mary and I. She takes a deep breath and nods. We slowly make our way down the aisle which has consists on assorted colors of rose petals. The same kind of petals cover the arch at the end of the aisle. In the corner of my eye, I see that Mary's attention is only on one person, my dad. It reminds me so much of the day I married Christian.

"You're so beautiful.", my dad tells her once we get to him. The minister moves forward as I take a step back.

"We're gathered here today to join two hearts into one. Ray and Mary have made the decison to declare their eternal love before their loved ones. They've chosen to recite traditional vows. Ray will go first." My dad takes Mary's hand along with the ring Christian has handed him. "Ray, will you take Mary as your wife; to live together in the holy covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her so long as you both shall live? If so, answer, "I will."

"I will.", my dad answers, slipping the ring on her finger. Standing in front of Christian, Jamison's taking in every bit of what's playing around him.

"Mary will now go. Mary, will you have Ray as your husband; to live together in the holy covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her so long as you both shall live? If so, answer, "I will."

"I absolutely will.", she grins as she places his ring on his finger.

"Ray and Mary, you have expressed your desire to be husband and wife. You have shown your love and affection by joining hands, have made promises of faith and devotion, each to the other, and have sealed these promises by giving a ring. I, therefore, pronounce that you are husband and wife." I wipe away my tears while gazing at the newlyweds. "You may kiss the bride."

"Don't mind if I do.", my dad laughs. He pulls Mary into him and kisses her passionately as the guests applaud.

"Go Ray!", Elliot shouts.

"Elliot.", I hear Spencer scold with a laugh.

* * *

**C POV**

"It was a lovely ceremony.", Grace tells Ray and Mary. We're seated at one of the six round tables that are set up in the backyard for the reception. "I even caught Carrick crying."

"I'm not afaid to show my emotions.", Carrick shrugs. I turn my head and see Charles and Carol having a lively discussion at the table next to us.

"I told you they'd be good together.", I whisper to Ana.

"Why don't some of you dance?", Mia asks. She's led Ben to the side of our table. "I want to dance with Ben, but I also don't want us to be the only couple out there."

"Elliot and I will dance.", Spencer replies. She doesn't wait for Elliot's answer before grabbing his hand.

"Spencer, you and I both know my dancing isn't the best. The last thing I want is to embarrass you out there."

"You could never embarrass me. Besides, it's about having fun and living in the moment." Elliot ponders briefly before nodding his head and joining Spencer.

"How about you Mrs. Grey? Would you like to dance?", I ask Ana. She feeds Jamison a small piece of cake and shakes her head. "Please."

"I'm not feeling the best right now but maybe later. Ok?"

"Deal." I look to towards the house and see Welch standing with Taylor. His presence can't be a good sign. Noticing my focus away from the reception, Ana raises a brow. Welch has been looking into Donna Baxter, but I had hoped we wouldn't be disturbed today by what he found. "I have a feeling he isn't here for the cake."

"Baby.", I lower my voice as I stand. "I'm sorry for doing this, but I need to find out what he wants. It must be important for him to show up here."

"It's kind of scary to think about.", she murmurs. "Yet you need to go." I start towards Taylor and Welch who both appear regretful.

"Mr. Grey, I'm so sorry, but you didn't answer your phone.", Welch says.

"I left it inside. What brings you here?"

"Donavon, the guy who you had watching Donna Baxter contacted me with some interesting information. After she left her home earlier, she went to the King County Correctional Facility. She was there about an hour. Since she had to sign in, I was able to get into the computer to find out why she was there. She visited with a female inmate." Taylor begins tensing up which isn't a good sign.

"Who was the inmate?", I ask.

"Madeline Turner."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." Madeline Turner's son Caleb was Ana's friend for years before it was discovered that he killed her mother Carla and sister Natalie. Madeline, wanting to protect her son, kept the truth to herself but is now serving time for her role in what took place. She might not have been the one to pull the trigger, but she was equally to blame in my opinion.

"Whatever the reason for her visit can't be good."


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy**

**C POV**

I knew whatever Donna Baxter's real motives were couldn't be good, but finding out she visited one of the people Ana would rather forget concerns me greatly. It means her scheme isn't aimed towards me but at my wife. Ana spotted Welch at the reception, but I convinced her to wait until afterwards to hear what he had to say. With the guests now gone, she and I have just finished putting Jamison to bed and are relaxing on the sofa.

"It was a beautiful wedding, wasn't it?", I ask her while pulling her heels off. She instinctively brings her feet to my lap where I begin massaging them.

"It was exactly what my dad and Mary wanted. Now they're on their way to their honeymoon where they can bask in the sun and relax. Part of me wishes I was the one going.", she giggles.

"You can or I mean we can. Just name a place, and I'll get everything set up. We can be gone in no time. If you'd rather wait until morning, that's fine. Come to think of it, that might be better since it'll give us time to get some sleep." She reaches forward and cups my chin in her hands.

"Christian, stop. I know what you're doing. I just don't know why you're doing it."

"What am I doing?", I scoff nonchalantly.

"You're deflecting the issue at hand. Why was Welch here?", she asks.

"He learned that Donna Baxter paid a visit to the King County Correctional Facility today. She visited an inmate. I need you to stay calm when I tell you who the name of the inmate."

"You're scaring me. Who was it?"

"Madeline Turner." Seeing Ana tense up, I continue to massage her feet. "Welch said she was there for about an hour. He's going to try and get the visitor logs from the last few months so he can determine how many times she's been there. He's also continuing to look into Ms. Baxter's background. Other than her working at GEH for three months, we don't know anything else, but we will."

"Madeline hasn't been in contact with me at all since she's been locked up, and now she's getting visits from a woman who has an agenda against us?"

"When was the last time your dad talked with Robert?" Madeline's husband and Caleb's father Robert was Ray's best friend. Although Robert was oblivious to what his son and wife did, the frienship between him and Ray was forever changed.

"I'm not sure since Robert moved to Tacoma. Of course, he and my dad weren't as close as they once were."

"Why don't I go and get us something to eat or drink? Are you hungry?", I ask.

"No. The thought of food makes me feel sick." I decide not to listen to her and get up to get her some ginger ale and a snack. "I said no."

"At least let me get you something to drink." As I pass the front door, I hear a knock. Ana's eyes go anxiously to the door. I go to the window and look out where I see Welch standing on the porch. "It's Welch."

"Mr. Grey, once again, I'm sorry for showing up unexpectdedly, but I have more information.", Welch says while walking into the living room. He turns and sees Ana. "Hello Mrs. Grey."

"Hi. Please have a seat." Welch sits down and begins opening his briefcase, pulling out a file. "Christian filled me about your earlier visit. Have you found a possible connection between Donna Baxter and Madeline Turner?", Ana asks.

"Yes ma'am." He opens the file and begins. "I discovered that Donna Baxter's mother Glenda was an inmate at the same correctional facility as Madeline Turner. Her mother was convicted of selling drugs as well as assault although she continually denied her guilt. A source at the facility clued me in that Mrs. Turner and Mrs. Baxter were in the same cell."

"The connection begins.", I say. "What else?"

"Mrs. Baxter's only visitor during her time was her daughter Donna, but Mrs. Baxter passed away a little over three months ago. However, even after her death, her daughter still went for visits."

"To see Madeline Turner.", Ana murmurs. She moves her eyes to me. "You said Donna worked at GEH for three months which is the same timeframe for her visits to Madeline. It's very possible the only reason she worked at GEH was to help with her plot."

* * *

"Fuck.", I mutter after stepping in a water puddle in the front yard. While yesterday was picture perfect weather, today is a contrast with rain and wind. I try my best to shake the water from my shoes as I see Bryce pull into the driveway.

"Can't you see it's raining?", he asks after getting out of his truck and sprinting to the house. I speed up and move next to him. "Christian, it's seven on a Sunday morning. I'm here because I'm working, but why are you out here?"

"I needed to think but didn't realize how bad the weather was until I got outside." We head inside the house which is filled with silence since both Ana and Jamison are still sleeping, and both Gail and Nancy have the day off. I place my wet shoes in the corner and rub my hands together to warm up. "I made some coffee earlier. How about a cup?"

"Sure." He folllows me into the kithen where I pour each of us a cup of coffee.

"I'm not really up for breakfast, but would you like something? I can make toast.", I say.

"No thanks. April woke up early and made muffins. Is Taylor going to work today?"

"He'll be here a little later."

"So, does your desire to risk catching pneumonia have anything to do with Welch showing up at the reception yesterday?" Taking a seat at the table, I nod over my cup. "How bad is it?"

"One name, Madeline Turner.", I murmur. Bryce was instrumental in helping rescue from Caleb when he kidnapped her. "She's been getting visits from Donna Baxter. Ana handled the news better than I thought she would, but I know it's worrying her."

"Damn man. Now you're rethinking Donna Baxter's angle."

"It's not about me. It's about Ana. Let me tell you, I was livid when I realized she was up to something, but knowing that it's about Ana...My wife has already been through hell with Madeline, and now she's wanting to stir up trouble? The bitch has another thing coming."

* * *

**A POV**

"Rain, blah." I stick my tongue out only to mimicked by Jamison who's prowling through the magazine rack. He grabs one of Christian's business magazines and sits down on the floor with it. "Looks like you're going to take after your dad." Christian comes out of his study and grins at our son.

"Should I be worried about you taking over my company?", Christian asks Jamison. He gets down on the floor and pulls the baby into his lap. The two of them take turns flipping through the pages.

"You seem to be in a better mood." From the moment I woke up today, Christian's been somber. He's been almost a skeleton of his usual self. I know the source of his attitude change is what's going on with Donna Baxter and Madeline Turner. It's what's front and present on my mind as well. Falling asleep wasn't the easiest thing last night, but I came to the conclusion that I need to be my best. I've already overcome so much in my life, and I'm not about to start rolling over for anyone.

"I'm trying. When Charles was leaving earlier, I noticed how good of a mood he was in, and I got to thinking that I wanted to be in a mood like that." Charles left the house a few hours ago to go on a date with Carol. Those two are gradually becoming closer. "You, Jamison, and the new baby deserve a better attitude from me."

"I understand why you were acting in such a way. Christian, I'm not going to sit here and claim I'm not a little scared and nervous because I am. I'm kind of on edge wondering what's going to happen, but I also know that no one is going to take away the good life we have. Now, I've got an idea."

"An idea, huh?", he smirks although he might not like what I have to say.

"Maybe I should go and meet with Madeline." His face drops. "Just hear me out. If I go and at least talk to her, maybe she'll open up about what's going on in her head."

"No Ana. I won't let you go. Sure she might start opening up, but she might also use her words against you."

"Wouldn't you rather I tell you I'm going as opposed to doing it behind your back?"

"You wouldn't go behind my back.", he scoffs as I raise a brow.

"The way I see it is the best way to find out what's going on is to confront the source. I also feel she'd be more open with me instead of someone else. You can go with me." He looks down at Jamison and then back up at me. "I don't see any other options."

"I'll call and get things set up, but if at any time things become too much, I'm ending it."

* * *

Christian was able to set things up at the correctional facility and has taken today off to accompany me here. He's in a waiting room while I meet with Madeline. I walk into a room where I find a glass window. A telephone is on each side of the glass window. Mustering all the courage I have, I take a seat in one of the chairs and stare into the glass in front of me until a door on the other side opens. Madeline Turner is led into the room and to her own chair. The first thing I notice about her is how much she's aged. She used to keep her hair colored regularly, but it's now solid gray. Wrinkles cover her face. She picks up her phone and motions for me to take mine.

"Ana, when I was told I had a visitor, I was shocked. I never thought I'd see or talk to you again. Yet, here you are. I would ask how you've been, but I've seen the magazine articles. You're a wife and mother now. Wow. Congratulations. What brings you here?"

"I think you know.", I snap.

"It can't be about Caleb because he's dead thanks to you.", she scoffs.

"How can you sit there and blame me for Caleb's death? He got exactly what was coming to him. You may not give a damn, but your son was a killer. He took my mom and sister away from me. You remember them, right? They were two people who you claimed to care about." I tighten my grip on the phone.

"I did care about them, but I cared about my son more. Caleb was my flesh and blood. As his mother, it was my responsibilty to take care of and protect him."

"After all this time, you're still standing by him. Even so, I'm not here about Caleb. I came here today to find out why you're trying to meddle in my life. Before you sit there and deny it, I have proof. You've been getting visits from a woman named Donna Baxter."

"Glenda, Madeline's mother was in here for made up charges. She was involved with a man who dealt drugs, but the guy was two steps ahead and set her up for the fall when things fell apart. Glenda was angry when she found out so she hit her boyfriend with a chair. The bastard went free, but Glenda went to jail. I felt so bad for her. The two of us became almost like sisters. She was the only one who I could talk to. Robert's only been here once, and that was to tell me he was moving to Tacoma. He also said he still couldn't get over me covering for Caleb. I'm much better off without a man who refused to stand by me. Glenda's daughter Donna would come and visit. The girl was so sweet and kind. The relationship between the two was incredible, but it ended when Glenda had a heart attack and died. It was sudden and left me numb. Sweet Donna showed up one day about a week after Glenda died. She said that neither of us had any one else, and we could still be friends."

"It's sad about Donna's mother, but that doens't answer why you recuited Donna to come after me. The woman got a job at my husband's company, and even though she was fired, she still made a pass at him. To top it off, she set it up where she would accidentally bump into me. Answer me." Madeline moves the phone from her ear and almost looks like she's going to get up, but she places the phone back to her ear.

"I told Donna about you and how you've got this life that makes you act above everyone. I lost everything, and yet you have the entire world at your feet. She felt bad for me and said she would try and ease my pain. I jokinly told her she coud apply to GEH and get a job so she seduce Christian. I didn't actually expect her to land the job, but she did. She didn't want to start things too soon so she decided to take her time."

"Unfortunately, Donna got a little cocky and wasn't an ideal employee.", I mutter.

"She told me how going to work was difficult since she was still grieving her mother. Her mind wasn't in the right place. When she got fired, she promised to keep to our plan."

"I can't believe you hate that much to go to so much trouble."

"I don't hate you Ana, but I hate the life you have. I hate that you're breathing air Caleb can't breathe. You're experiencing things that my son can't. When it comes down to it, you're the one to blame for all of it. You're the one who he had the crush on. If you had been more aware, you could've seen how he felt about you. Your blindness set off the entire chain of events. Your mother and Natalie might still be here." Following my mom and sister's death, I was in a bad place, feeling guilty that I was alive and not them. It took time and Christian's love to help me, but Madeline's trying to rattle me.

"I see what you're trying to do. You think making me feel guilty is going to help with your little scheme, but it's not working. I miss my mom and Natalie every single day. They've missed out on so much, but I'm not responsible. Caleb and the vindictive woman I'm looking at are the ones to blame. If you'll excuse me, I've got better things to do." I slam the phone down and leave her staring dumbfounded. She's not used to seeing me be so confident.

"Ana, I was able to watch you on one of the cameras.", Christian says after I find him. "She admitted to it."

"And tried to play mind games with me.", I murmur. "She may not be done, but I gave her an idea of who she's messing with."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"Do you think this dress will be ok for tonight?" I hold up a sleeveless black knee lenghth dress with a lace back. Christian runs his index finger along his chin in contemplation. The longer he doesn't say anything the more I feel my emotions building. "Never mind."

"Baby, I'm playing with you. That dress will look spectacular on you, but you're stunning in anything."

"Well I can't just wear anything tonight. Your dad's being honored, and I don't want to show up in something frumpy that'll embarrass him." Carrick's being given the Washington State Bar Association Public Service Award tonight during a dinner being held at Sheraton Hotel.

"That would never happen." He holds up two ties, one light gray and another a shade darker. "Which one." I tilt my head and mock him. "You're a funny one Mrs. Grey."

"I like the darker shade.", I answer. He doesn't question me any more while opting for the darker tie. "Nancy's going to leave this afternoon about two and then come back at five. She offered to stay the entire time, but I told her to go home and get some rest."

"She'll definitely need it if Jamison's feeling like his usual self.", Christian laughs. "Time for me to ask for the millionth time how you're feeling?"

"I'm feeling wonderful." I was nervous going into my meeting with Madeline the other day, but I walked out with my head high and feeling stronger than ever. The thought that she might still possibly try something still looms, but I refuse to let Madeline ruin my life from behind bars.

"You look like it." Our lips are about to meet when the sound of a door shutting downstairs interrupts us. "I wonder if that's Charles returning home from his date?" I take hold of Christian's hand and lead him out of the room. He thinks for a second that we're going downstairs, but instead we go into Jamison's room. Our sweet boys is still laying down but is wide awake. "Good morning little man."

"Dada.", Jamison smiles. Christian reaches down and picks the baby up, plastering his cheeks with tender kisses. "I'd better save some for Mommy." Jamison's eyes turn to me and twinkle.

"You look well rested." I step closer and take my turn kissing him. "I bet you need a new diaper."

"I'll change him. Why don't you go on downstairs? Maybe you can see if you can find out anything from Charles.", Christian laughs.

"I'm not going to interrogate him. The guy is a grown man who can do whatever he wants."

"I'm joking. Do you think I really want to know what he might possibly be doing on his dates? No." I shrug my shouders and kiss both my guys one more time before stepping out of the room and going downstairs. I find Charles sitting at the breakfast bar with a cup of coffee in one hand and a newspaper in the other.

"Good morning.", I say.

"Ana, good morning.", Charles replies with a tooth baring grin. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"

"From what I saw when I glimpsed through the curtain earlier it is. I'm glad the rain is gone." Nancy walks from the laundry room and smiles on her way to the stove. "Morning Nancy."

"Good morning. I thought I'd go ahead and throw a load of laundry in the machine and then start breakfast. What would you all like this morning?" She glances at me and then Charles.

"I'm going to have oatmeal and toast. Christian should be in here any minute."

"I'm going to just have coffee. Carol and I had breakfast before left for work.", Charles answers.

"Here we are.", Christian announces as he enters the room with Jamison. "Jamison, tell everyone good morning."

"No. Eat.", he counters.

"All right. Let's get you fed son. Charles, Nancy, good morning. How are you guys this morning?"

"I'm well.", Nancy says as she continues preparing breakfast. Christian raises his brow at Charles who appears flustered.

"Charles, how was your date last night?", Christian smirks.

"You heard me returning earlier, didn't you? Yes I stayed out all night with Carol. We went to dinner and then back to her place where we watched a movie. Before we knew it, we were both asleep. I woke up around two and was about to leave when she told me to stay since it was so late. I eventually agreed and went back to sleep. That's all that happened."

"As long as you had a nice night, that's all that matters.", I tell him.

"She's going to be working late tonight so if you want I can watch Jamison while you attend Carrick's event." One of the key reasons Charles moved to Seattle was to bond with his family, and babysitting Jamison tonight would help with that.

"Nancy was going to do it, but if you'd like, sure.", Christian replies while reading my mind.

"Thank you. I promise that everything will be ok. Jamison's going to be in good hands."

* * *

"Ben wasn't sure if he'd be able to go tonight, but he traded days with another doctor.", Mia says as she slowly pushes Jamison in his outdoor swing.

"That's good." She doesn't say anything back. "Mia, is that not good?"

"It's good. I was having coffee with my friend Heather the other day when she said she was surprised Ben hasn't popped the question yet. I told her it would happen when the time is right, but part of me is wondering if that will ever happen. Although we've talked about the next step a few times, it hasn't been discussed lately."

"Just because it hasn't been brought up again doesn't mean it won't happen. I see how Ben looks and acts with you. The guy is going to marry you." I don't have concrete evidence to back up my words, but I really feel it's the truth.

"Or he could merely be comfortable with how things are. Some guys are ok with the whole nonmarriage idea."

"Talking to Ben about this might be good." I move to the side of Jamison's swing and pull my phone from my pocket, snapping a photo to send to Christian. "Daddy's going to love this."

"I'd like to have this life someday.", Mia sighs. "I don't want kids any time soon, but I want marriage. If Ben is indeed not in the same boat as me, I don't know."

"And you won't until you talk to him."

"Is this the part of the conversation where you tell me that communication is everything in a relationship?"

"Possibly."

* * *

**C POV**

"Something really good must be on your phone.", Ros says after I open the picture message Ana sent. Staring at me from the screen is my smiling baby boy as he's swinging. I hold the phone out to Ros.

"Tell me that's not the sweetest thing in the world?"

"Adorable. Is Ana feeling better?"

"She has been for the past few days." Ros has already been informed of the connection between former GEH employee Donna Baxter and Madeline Turner. I also told her about Ana going to confront Madeline. "She's a tough cookie."

"That she is. Has Ana told Ray about Madeline?"

"Not yet. She wants to wait until Ray and Mary are back from their honeymoon. I can see her point there, but I also feel telling him now would be a good idea." I place my phone down and sigh at the files on the side of my desk. "I've got to go through those, but I've also got to be out of here early. We're going to the dinner for my dad tonight."

"It's wonderful that he's being honored.", Ros says as she stands. "Tell him congratulations for me."

"I will." After she's gone, I pick up one of the files and am about to start looking at when my phone rings with a call from Mia. Ana said earlier that Mia was at the house so I'm wondering if she's still there.

"Hey Mia. Are you.." I stop when I hear her breathing heavily. "Mia, what's wrong?"

"Christian, it's Ana. She collapsed. The ambulance is on the way.", she manages to say through tears. I suddenly feel like all the breath has been taken from my body. The sound of sirens only worsens things. "Christian, are you there?"

"I'm here. I'm on my way." I stand and stagger to the door, opening it to find Andrea and April looking at me. "Where's Taylor?"

"He went to get some coffee. Are you ok?", April asks. Both she and Andrea go to their feet and to my side just as Taylor returns. "Uncle Jason, something's wrong."

"Taylor, I need to get to Ana. I need to get to her now. Take me to her. Please." He grasps the magnitude of the situation.

"You got it."

* * *

"Dr. Greene will be here soon.", I tell Ana. She only nods and stares at the wall. "Ana, it's going to be ok. You and the baby are going to be ok." When I arrived at the hospital, Ana was awake, but we still don't know why she collapsed.

"My head started hurting.", she murmurs. "It was this morning after you had left. It only lasted a few minutes, and then it eased up. I was feeling fine until it started hurting again when Mia and I went inside. She and Jamison went into the living room while I started making some sandwiches. I remember Gail walking into the room and saying she had placed Riley down for a nap. That's all I remember until I woke up."

"Mia said Gail yelled for her. She left Jamison in the living room with Nancy. You were out of it. Sawyer and Bryce were at your side in no time as well." Ana doesn't say anything else as Dr. Greene walks into the room with a clipboard.

"Hi.", Dr. Greene says with a soft voice. "Ana, Christian. I understand Ana passed out. Where there any symptoms beforehand?"

"A headache this morning and again right before I passed out.", Ana answers. Dr. Greene scribbles in her chart and walks over to the bed. She then raises Ana's gown.

"Have you had any cramping or spotting?"

"No. Do you think I miscarried?" Ana covers her face and begins sobbing uncontrollably. "It's my fault. I should've taken better care of myself."

"Relax.", I tell her. "Dr. Greene was only asking. She needs to know so she can find out what's going on. Right?" I glance at Dr. Greene, begging for a sign that I'm right.

"Christian's right. I'm going to do an ultrasound. I can tell you that your blood pressure was high. That could very well be the reason for both the headaches and the passing out." Ana and I stay motionless while Dr. Greens starts the ultrasound. This morning we were laughing and happy, and now we're praying for good news.

"I should've been taking better care of myself.", Ana mutters. "I've been trying, but I've failed."

"Don't say that.", I say. "You need to be positive." Dr. Greene turns from the screen and smiles. It's a genuine smile, one that gives that hope I've been needing. "Is the baby ok?"

"The baby's perfect.", Dr. Greene replies as she moves the transducer on Ana's stomach. "Ana, I'm going to keep you overnight for observation. More than likely, you're suffering from gestational hypertension. It can lead to other complications for you and the baby, but it can be treated by rest. Your prenatal checkups would be more frequent as well. I've dealt with this condition in many patients before, and they've gone on to deliver healthy babies. Now, before I put the machine away, would you like to go ahead and learn the baby's gender?" Ana and I had told Dr. Greene that we didn't want to find out this go around, but I'm starting to reconsider our decision.

"I'd still like to wait.", Ana says to me. "But if you want to find out, we can."

"I'm torn. Part of me wants to say yes, yet part of me wants to say no."

"I have the answer and will keep it to myself until you make a decision. You might wake up in the morning and decide to find out. If that's the case, I'll tell you. I've got some more patients to check on, but I'll be back around later. Get some rest.", Dr. Greene says before leaving the room.

"Where's Jamison?", Ana asks.

"With Charles. I told him I'd check in later."

"Christian, you don't have to stay. You should go ahead and go to your dad's dinner. It's a special night for him." I press my index finger against her lips.

"Dad knows you're here, and he understands completely that I'm where I should be. He tried to say he would skip the dinner himself, but I told him that wasn't going to happen. I know you said you didn't want your dad to know about what's been going on here, but you're in the hospita. I'm fairly certain he'd want to be informed. Why don't I call him?"

"You can but please wait a little bit longer. Right now, I just want you to hold my hand and tell me everthing is going to be ok because my words aren't good enough. It's going to be ok, isn't it?" I sit down on the side of the bed.

"I promise you that everything is going to be ok. Today was scary for both of us, but we'll get through it." I realize that she's dozed off. I stay on the bed and watch her sleep. "We'll through it.", I repeat.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"Sweetheart." I open my eyes to find my mom standing next to the small cot I slept on in Ana's room. I look over at Ana's bed and see that she's still sound asleep. I get up as quietly as possible so I don't wake her. Following my mom out of the room, I ease the door closed and step out into the hallway.

"Hey.", I murmur. I rub my eyes and see that it's only six. "Why are you here so early?"

"I've got a shift but first wanted to come by and check on you and Ana. She looked like she was sleeping pretty well."

"I can't say the say about me." I rub the back of my neck and stretch my arms. "I had the cot brought in at Ana's insistance, but it wasn't very comfortable. The important thing though is Ana's getting the rest she needs. Dr. Greene's going to be in around eight to check on her. Once she releases Ana to go home, I'm going to make it my mission to make sure she continues to rest and remain stress free."

"You know your father and I along with everyone else will do whatever we can to help. How do you think Charles did with Jamison last night?", she asks.

"I called him around nine, and Jamison was sleeping. They had a peaceful night. I can't wait to get home to Jamison. I know Ana's anxious as well." I glance over my shoulder at her room. "I was so scared yesterday. I was as calm as possible for Ana, but I was terrified." She places her hand on my arm and smiles comfortingly at me. "Yesterday morning, she was fine, and then, she wasn't."

"I understand it was dramatic, but you've got to stay strong and positive for each other. Have you called Ray?"

"I was going to last night, but Ana wanted me to hold off. She wants to wait until today.", I sigh. "Tell me something good. How was the dinner last night?" We walk over and sit down in two of the chairs in the hallway.

"Last night was wonderful. Your father made a very moving speech about giving back to the community. Elliot recorded it and said he's send it to you. It wasn't the same without you and Ana, however."

"I wish we could've been there."

"I've got to get started but will be around if you need me.", she says before hugging me and then walking away. I tiptoe back into the room and see that Ana's stirring.

"Christian.", she mumbles. I sit on the edge of her bed and see her eyes flutter open. "Hi."

"Hi yourself. How did you sleep?", I ask.

"Considering I was in a hospital bed, I slept very well. You?"

"Good.", I answer.

"You're lying.", she giggles. "I want to go home."

"You will soon." I rub the outside of her hand as a gray haired nurse opens the door.

"Mrs. Grey, I need to check your vitals.", the nurse says. I stand and step back while the nurse does her thing. Ana stills and keeps her eyes on me. "Ok. All done. How about I get you some breakfast?"

"Uh..maybe later. I'm not very hungry right now." Her words don't match her body language. I know damn well that she's hungry but doesn't want the standard hospital food.

"I'll arrange for some breakfast for you.", I tell Ana, instantly receiving a smile in return. The nurse nods and excuses herself from the room. "Baby, what would you like?"

"A breakfast burrito with extra salsa.", she replies giddily. "And some toast with grape jelly."

"Breakfast burrito with extra salsa and toast with grape jelly coming right up." I bend and touch her lips with mine. I pull my phone from my pocket and text Taylor who said last night he would be on duty early this morning. I type out a text and ask him to pick up Ana's food on the way to the hospital. "I'm going to have Taylor bring the food here. How are you feeling? Please be honest."

"Christian, I'm feeling fine. Yesterday was a real wakeup call that I need to start taking better care of myself. What's been going on with Madeline needs to be pushed to the back of my mind. This baby needs me to be at my best."

* * *

"Ana, your blood pressure is down, but I want you to continue getting plenty of rest.", Dr. Greene says after checking on Ana. "We want to prevent the hypertension from turning into something worse such as preeclampsia."

"I understand.", Ana murmurs. Dr. Greene opens her chart and begins writing. "You said last night you'd tell us the sex of the baby if we wanted." While Ana had breakfast, we discussed learning whether the baby is a boy or a girl. We wanted to hold off, but after talking it over, we decided we want to know.

"Yes. I have the answer in my chart. Would you like to know?"

"We've decided that life is full of so many unexpected things, and learning the baby's gender would make it one less thing. We'd like to find out.", I reply as I lace Ana's hand in mine.

"All right." Dr. Greene turns one of the pages in her chart and smiles. "I'm pleased to tell you that you're going to have a...girl. Congratulations."

"A girl.", I sigh. "Wow. A baby girl." Ana sniffles. "Baby, we're having a girl."

"I'm so happy right now.", Ana says. "Are you ok with us having a girl?"

"More than anything." My free hands goes to her stomach. "Hey there princess. We love you so much already."

"I'm going to get your discharge papers ready.", Dr. Greene says on her way out of the room.

"Jamison's going to be a protective older brother to her."

"We should start discussing names. Do you have any in mind?", I ask.

"A few, but we can talk about them later when we're out of this hospital. I hope Dr. Greene hurries back so we can go home to Jamison." I called Charles before Dr. Greene got here to check Ana out. As expected, all was well, but Charles said it's clear Jamison was missing his mom and dad.

"I'm going to give him the biggest hug."

* * *

**A POV**

"Thank you for watching him.", I tell Charles. He's in the middle of placing Jamison in Christian's arms.

"Thank you for letting me watch him. It was a nice evening and morning. We had fun, didn't we?" Jamison pulls away from Christian's kisses and grins at Charles. "I'm around whenever you need a babysitter."

"We appreciate it.", Christian says. "It slipped my mind, but what about your work?"

"I called and explained that I had a family situation arise. My boss is very understanding and told me to come in when I could. So, I'm going to go." He takes a step towards Christian and Jamison. "See you later little man."

"Bye.", Jamison murmurs while waving his little hand at Charles . Christian and I settle on the sofa with Jamison after Charles leaves.

"Jamison, Mommy and I have some news for you. You're going to have a sister. Isn't that great?", Christian asks, but Jamison doesn't seem interested. "How are we going to go about revealing the news to everyone?"

"We could get Jamison a shirt similiar to the one he wore when we announced the pregnancy. Only this time the shirt could have the phrase "I'm Going to Have a Sister."

"I like that idea. There's more news that we need to share with your dad." I've been avoiding calling my dad and telling him about my hospitalization. I know telling him will also lead to revealing Madeline's ploy. "Baby, your dad may be on his honeymoon, but I know without a doubt that he'd want to know about you being in the hospital."

"Knowing my dad, he'll want to get on the first plane back here, and that's not something I want to happen. He's finally in a place where he has peace and happiness.", I sigh. Jamison crawls from Christian's arms and into mine. I smooth down a piece of his cooper hair that's sticking up in the back.

"You can't avoid telling him forever.", Christian mutters.

"No, but I can hold off until he's back from the honeymoon. Christian, please. I don't want to argue about it. I just want a calm day."

"Fine Mrs. Grey. How about I take Jamison so you can go upstairs and rest?"

"I can rest downstairs with my two guys. Besides, I'm tired of being in a bed." Christian's lip curls in a devious grin. "Mind out of the gutter."

"I was simply thinking of ways you wouldn't be tired in a bed.", he laughs.

"Have you forgotten our son is right here.", I sigh in amusement. "You need to behave."

"I'll try my best."

* * *

"Ana?", Mia says. I continue eating the peanut butter sandwich Nancy made while watching the bedroom door open. Mia and Spencer are standing in the doorway with sympathetic eyes.

"Hey.", Spencer smiles as they pad into the bedroom. Christian said you were upstairs and said we could see you only if we kept you stressfree."

"He kind of held his eyes on me a while longer. Apparently my brother thinks I have the tendency to cause stress. Anyway, we were hanging out at Spencer's and thought we'd come see how you're feeling."

"I'm feeling ok, better than yesterday.", I answer. "So you've been hanging out over at Spencer's?"

"Yep. It would''ve been better if you were there.", Mia replies as she sits in the corner chair while Spencer sits on the edge of the bed. "We missed you last night."

"Believe me, I would have much rather been at the dinner than in the hospital. Grace told Christian the dinner went well."

"The dinner indeed turned out amazing. I was so proud of Dad. He made me cry with his sppech. I even saw tears in Elliot's eyes although he claimed it was allergies. After the awards portion, there was dancing. Ben and I danced to several songs. All of the worrying I've been doing about us was nonexistent."

"Mia clued me in on how she's been feeling about things with Ben. She also said you think she should talk to him.", Spencer says to me. "I'm in agreement with you. You saw where Elliot and I got because we swept things under the rug instead of talking about them. I'm not saying you guys are going to get to the point Elliot and I were at, but you need to take preventative action and talk to him."

"I will when I get the chance. Last night was Ben's last night off for the next week and a half.", Mia murmurs. "I'm used to him working a lot, but I miss him when he's gone."

"I understand the feeling.", I shrug before yawning.

"Ditto.", Spencer adds. "Ana, you're looking tired. Maybe Mia and I should go."

"You don't have to go." The sweet laughter of Jamison flows from outside the bedroom door. I look past Spencer and see Jamison toddling towards me with Christian observing from the hallway. "What are you doing baby boy?"

"Mama.", Jamison says. Spencer reaches for Jamison and pulls him up on to the bed.

"We were in his room when I told him it was nap time.", Christian says. "He took off and headed in here. I think he might want to have a nap in here." Mia and Spencer both stand and kiss Jamison.

"We're going to let you get that nap, but I'll call you later.", Mia smiles.

"If you need anything, call.", Spencer says. They move to where Christian's standing. "Take care of her."

"I always do.", he replies, sending a wink in my direction. Little does Spencer know but her comment has double meaning now that Christian and I have found out we're having a girl. He tells them bye and watches them leave. After they're gone, I fold my arms and look at him in disbelief. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Did Jamison really head in here on his own or was he persuaded by someone?" Christian looks in all directions and then holds his hands up. "I'm talking about you." He walks over to the bed and climbs on his side. "I'm going to keep my word about getting rest and not being stressed, but you have to ease up a little bit."

"I'm sorry. I'll try not to be so overbearing."

"That's all I ask. During my resting, I was thinking back to some of the names I've had in my mind. One keeps popping out. When Natalie was little, she had a doll that she took around everywhere. It was always by her side. One day, I fell and scraped my knee pretty bad. Natalie handed the doll to me and said it would watch over me. Now that my mom and Natalie are gone, I feel them watching over me. After we found out I was pregnant, the name was the first one to come to mind, but I wasn't sure what you'd think about it."

"Ana, what's the name?", he asks.

"Delaney. We could call her Laney for short." He takes Jamison's right hand and places it on my stomach.

"Jamison, say hi to your sister Delaney."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"Jamison, come on." Christian walks into the bedroom with a tray of food and a small vase. He stops just short of the bed and turns to look behind him. Making his way into the room is Jamison who's holding two red roses.

"What do we have here?", I ask as I scoot up in the bed. Christian sets the tray over my legs and takes the roses from Jamison, placing them in the vase.

"Jamison and I wanted to bring breakfast to our girls." My mouth salivates over the plate of eggs, bacon, and toast.

"This looks delicious, but I'll eat when the two of you have your breakfast." Christian picks up Jamison and sets him down on my left while he gets on the other side of the baby. I tear off a piece of toast and feed it to him.

"Jamison and I have already ate. He was wide awake when I went to check on him so he and I went ahead and had breakfast. We then made yours. Well, technically, Nancy made the breakfast, but I put it on the tray. I also went outside and got the two roses and cut their thorns off."

"I'm still touched. Thank you from both Delaney and myself. I'm excited that we have a first name, but now we need a middle name.", I say. Christian smiles shyly. "You've got one."

"Possibly. How about Grace? Delaney Grace Grey.", he replies.

"It's beautiful and perfect." I pick up my toast and bring it towards my lips but gasp when Christian leans over and takes a bite of the other end. The temperature in the room feels like it's doubled.

"You're flushed."

"Uh could you blame me after what you just did? So...what's on the agenda for the day besides me resting?"

"Well Mrs. Grey, I'm going to do some work in the study, but my mom is going to drop by for a while to see you. Carol's going to be here as well. Charles said she's been worried about you so I called and asked if she'd like to come for a visit. She said yes and will be here along with my mom around eleven. Your dad and Mary are going to be home this evening."

"I didn't think they were going to be back for another day. What happened?"

"Nothing. He called this morning and said they were ready to get back home. He also said that he had called your phone last night but didn't get an answer." I reach over to the nightstand where my phone is resting.

"It's off.", I reply, holding the phone up. "It's not that I'm avoiding my dad. I turned it off to block off the outside world for a while. It's part of my relaxation technique."

"I'm not sure I believe you.", he sighs. "Regardless, your dad asked if they could come over after they get home."

"I guess I should stop worrying and just tell him what's been going on.", I murmur. "He's not going to be thrilled, but at least it'll be out in the open."

* * *

"Carol, this chicken salad is incredible.", Grace says. She picks up her sandwich which has the chicken salad that Carol brought with her.

"Thank you. Charles made the comment that he likes chicken salad, and I happened to have a family recipe for it so I made a batch last night. He came by this morning and got a sandwich to take to work."

"It's really good.", I reply. "But you didn't have to bring so much of it." She brought two large bowls of it.

"I got a little carried away while making it.", she laughs. "I've still got some at my place, but Charles and I are going to make at least a small dent in it tonight at dinner. I wasn't sure if he'd want the chicken salad for both lunch and dinner, but he said that's what he wants."

"I remember when Carrick and I first got married.", Grace says. "I knew how to cook but wanted the food to be perfect. I ran into the issue of wrong portion size. I was worried about not cooking enough, but I'd end up cooking too much. Luckily, he was a believer in taking his lunch to work. He was understanding."

"That sounds like my problem. I've been cooking for myself for so long and didn't want to not have enough so I've been overdoing it. Charles says it's cute."

"Cute is good. He said things between you two are going well."

"They're going great. Charles is funny and sweet. He's very charming. He opens the door for me and pulls out my chair. I've never had a guy be such a gentleman to me." She clears her throat and looks over at Grace. "He listens to what I say, no pretending. In the past, I've dated guys who only had one thing in mind, sex. Charles, though, is real."

"Ladies, don't mind us. We're just getting some juice.", Christian says. He holds Jamison's hand while walking over to the fridge. Even though he's got work to do, Christian is watching Jamison in his study, calling it "guy time."

"Christian, help yourself to some of the chicken salad I brought.", Carol tells him. I see him spot the two large bowls in the fridge. "I made a little too much."

"I'll have some later." He pours Jamison's juice and closes the fridge's door before pressing his lips on the top of my head.

"Jamison, would you like to join us?", Grace asks.

"No. Dada.", he answer, wrapping his arm around Christian's leg.

"He's helping me go over calculate some numbers for work.", Christian laughs. "Come on little man. Let's get back to work." Jamison releases his hold but stays right by Christian's side while they head back to the study.

"My boys.", I sigh.

* * *

**C POV**

"Ray, Mary, come in." They step into the living room where Ana's swaying back and forth with Jamison in her arms. Jamison giggles and immediately holds his arms out to Ray who takes him.

"Hey.", she says. All of us take turns hugging each other. "I've missed you guys."

"We missed you all.", Ray tells her. He continues holding Jamison while sitting down in the chair next to Mary's. Ana and I sit down across from them on the love seat.

"Christian, Ana, thank you so much for arranging the honeymoon. It was spectacular.", Mary smiles. "The villa we stayed in was perfect. Heck, everything was perfect."

"Which you deserved.", Ana says. Her anxiety level over telling Ray about what's been going on isn't as high as it has been, but it's still there.

"How have you been feeling Annie?", Ray asks. Ana rubs her hands nervously over the knee of her jeans. "Annie?" Both Ray and Mary have narrowed their eyes on Ana.

"Would you like something to eat or drink? Carol brought by a _lot _of chicken salad earlier."

"No thanks. What I would like to know is why you're not answering my question. Sweetheart, are you and the baby ok?"

"We're fine. Now.", Ana murmurs. "I had a little scare the other day, but everything is ok."

"A little scare?", Mary asks. "What in the world happened?"

"My blood pressure got high, and I passed out. I was taken to the hospital where I was kept overnight. Dr. Greene assured me both the baby and I would be ok as long as I don't get stressed out and take care of myself."

"You were in the hospital and didn't call? Annie, I wish you would have called us.", my dad says.

"I didn't want to interrupt your honeymoon. You and Mary needed that time."

"You've always been the most unselfish person I know, but you still should informed us." Ana nods and knots her fingers together. "I don't mean to sound harsh."

"You don't, and you're right. You should have been told. Dad, there's more. The reason why I was so stressed in the first place is beacause of Madeline Turner." Ray's face tightens while he shifts in his seat.

"What does that woman have to do with you being stressed?", Ray asks. Jamison touches the side of Ray's face, easing his grandfather.

"Christian had an employee named Donna Baxter. She was fired for not doing her work, but then she had the nerve to ask for an upper level job with him. The job question was only a ruse to try and sabotage our relationship. Christian's guy Welch did some digging and found out that Donna's mother was in the same cell as none other than Madeline Turner. After Donna's mother passed away, Donna continued visiting Madeline who put her up to getting a job at GEH. She was then told to try and interfere with our marriage."

"We figured out what was going on.", I say.

"Can't Madeline just leave you all alone?", Mary asks. "She and her son put you through so much."

"She still has a lot of anger and hostility.", Ana answers. "I found that out when I went to see her." Ray shakes his head. "I needed to talk to her and let her know that she wasn't going to ruin my marriage or my life. She's the one responsible for where her life is, not me."

"I watched Ana as she met with Madeline. Ray, she did good.", I add.

"Even so, I was still stressed. I suppose even though Madeline didn't mess with my life in the way she planned, she did in another way."

"I can't believe all that took place. I have the right mind to go and see that woman.", Ray snaps.

"Don't Dad. I want to try and move past all of this."

* * *

"Christian, hey." I see Ben standing by the door of my office. Andrea buzzed me a few moments ago to let me know that Ben was asking to see me.

"Hi. What are you doing just standing there? Come in." He slowly walks across the carpet to my desk. "Have a seat."

"I just finished my shift at the hospital and wanted to see you. I spoke with Carrick and Grace last night and had coffee with Elliot during my break earlier."

"From the way you're acting, I'm guessing those meetings weren't just to catch up. You look like you're about to pass out." His face is pale, and a small bead of sweat has formed

"Sorry.", he mutters. "I was nervous when I met with them, and I'm more nervous now."

"Ben, take a deep breath and relax. I'm not sure why you're this way, but it's going to be ok." He follows my instructions and rubs the side of his face. "Are you ok? Do I need to grab a waste basket in case you vomit?"

"I'm ok. You're important to Mia, and I know she's important to you."

"That she is. Go on."

"She's told me about your bond. I know how much her happiness and well being means to you." He stops and wipes away the sweat.

"If you're here to tell me you're breaking up with my sister, you might want to put some distance between us."

"That is not even close to why I'm here. I love Mia. She's the best thing to ever happen to me. I found the other half of me when I met her. I want to spend the rest of my life telling her and showing her how much I love her. I want to propose to her, but I would like your consent to do so.", he says. "I wanted the family's blessing which is why I asked your parents and Elliot. I saved asking you for last since you make me the most nervous."

"I make you nervous?", I laugh. "I understand how I might to do that. I see how crazy Mia is about you. You make her very happy, and that makes me happy." I hold my hand out for him.

"Are you giving me your blessing?", he asks as he shakes my hand

"Yes Ben. Make my sister even happier by asking her to marry you."


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"Are you sure you're up for going out with April today", Christian asks me. I continue drinking my tea while he cleans up the mess Jamison made with his breakfast.

"I feel much better.", I answer with my hands firmly holding the cup. "It's been a while since I've seen April so it'll be fun. It'll also be nice to get out of the house." April has today off from GEH so she called me last night to see if I wanted to hang out today. Grace is going to keep Jamison, and Bryce's mother is watching Alex.

"I know you've been cooped up here while resting, but it's been for the best." In his high chair, Jamison watches Christian place his empty plate in the dish washer along with the rest of the dirty dishes. Gail and Taylor walk into the kitchen with Riley snuggled against Taylor's chest. "What do you guys think?" Both Gail and Taylor are looking at us in confusion. "I was telling Ana how being at home has been the best for her."

"I'm not going to disagree that the rest hasn't been good for Ana, but I also don't see why she shouldn't go out and have a nice time. Dr. Greene didn't put her complete bed rest. She only said to get some rest and not get stressed.", Gail answers. She pulls the extra high chair we keep over to the table and then smiles as Taylor places Riley down in the chair. He then proceeds to place a bib on the baby.

"I'm with Gail on this.", Taylor shrugs. He sits down in a chair next to Riley and begins feeding the grinning baby. Jamison has now moved his attention to the baby girl. "Jamison, I like you, but don't even think about dating my daughter until she's at least thirty."

"Thirty seems like a decent age.", Christian laughs with his eyes going to my bump. I know no doubt he's got almost the same dating philosophy in his mind. I stand and place my cup in the dish washer and then press start to start the cycle. Christian has picked up Jamison and is now holding him by the doorway. "How about we get you changed little man?" Gail and Taylor wave as we leave the kitchen and go upstairs to the nursery. "Do you think they suspect we're having a girl?" We walk into the nursery where I grab a blue and red plaid button up shirt and pair of jeans for the baby.

"I don't think they have any suspicions. We've been fairly good with not telling any one." We begin teaming up with changing Jamison's clothes.

"In regards to being suspicious, do you think Mia has any suspicion that Ben's going to ask her to marry him?" After Ben asked for and received Christian's blessing to marry Mia, he told me the news. Like Christian, I was excited about Mia getting her happily ever after.

"No. In fact, Mia's had this mindset that Ben doesn't want marriage. She believed he was comfortable with how things were."

"When in fact he was planning to change things.", Christian smiles. "It's touching that he wants all of us there for the big moment." Ben's planning to propose to Mia tomorrow night with a special gathering of all their loved ones, including Beverly Matthews, Mia's birth mother. Since their rediscovering each other, they've forged a friendship similiar to that of Christian and Charles.

"As long as Mia doesn't catch wind of what's going on, it'll be the best surprise she's ever gotten."

* * *

"I've never had a drink called a Dirty Snowman.", April giggles. She nods to the cup in front of me. After shopping, we stopped at The Java Cafe for some food and coffee. One of the items on the menu was the oddly named Dirty Snowman. The girl at the counter said it consisted of white chocolate, mocha, and toffee.

"Me either, but it sounded good." I bring the coffee beverage to my mouth and take a slow drink. "It's delicious. How has work been lately? I hope my husband hasn't been too hard on you."

"Not at all. I enjoy working for Christian. I'm so grateful that Andrea took me under her wing and trained me well."

"I'm glad to hear it. Between your work and Bryce's along with taking care of Alex, have you guys made any wedding plans?"

"We've made the decision to not let the wedding planning become overwhelming. We might even go to the courthouse and do it."

"Do you think your uncle would let you get married at the courthouse?", I ask, knowing how strong of a bond April has with Taylor. Taking a drink of her coffee, she nods.

"Not only does he know, but he also supports the idea. Nothing is concrete yet. It's just an idea. Oh my gosh, I almost forgot to tell you what happened last night. Elliot came over on his motorcyle. He then asked Bryce if he wanted to buy it. It seems the motorcycle phase has ended."

"Huh. I'm not shocked since he rarely drove it. What did Bryce say?"

"No, but one of his friends might be interested. Elliot said Spencer's pleased that he's getting rid of it."

"She kind of warmed to the idea of the motorcyle even though she never really fully supported it.", I giggle.

"Enough about me. Let's talk about you. How are you feeling? Be honest."

"I feel fine. I've been stress free and getting plenty of rest. My dad is still furious about Madeline Turner's plot, but he agreed to not do anything. We're in a calm place that could be potentially disrupted if he went after Madeline.", I reply. April breaks apart her blueberry muffin and slides half of it over to me. "Thanks."

"Your dad has a right to be worried. You're his daughter who he'd do anything for, yet I do see how him doing even the smallest thing could be bad."

"We've had enough of the bad. It's time for some good."

* * *

**C POV**

"I would've done anything to see the look on Ben's face when he asked for your blessing. I mean he was a tad nervous when he met with me, but probably no where near as much as he was with you.", Elliot chuckles. He reaches into his pocket and brings out a pack of gum, offering me a piece which I decline.

"I honestly thought the guy was here to tell me he was going to break up with Mia. That's where he and I would have had a problem." Elliot pops a piece of the gum in his mouth and roams his eyes around my office.

"I can just visualize tossed furniture everywhere."

"I understand why he would be nervous, but at the end of the day, I only want Mia's happiness.", I say as I sign my name to the paper I had been looking over.

"That's what all of us want. How many tears do you think Mia's going to shed when he asks her?"

"A lot.", I laugh. "Of course, she won't be the only crying. The entire room will be crying."

"Pshh. I may cry here and there, but most of the time what appears to be tears from crying is actually from allergies."

"Lelliot, you never cease to amaze me.", I sigh.

"I'll take that as a compliment. So, how would you like to be the proud owner of a barely used motorcyle? It even comes with the helmet."

"Spencer finally got you to get rid of that damn thing?"

"Nope. I haven't had much time to ride it so I thought I'd sell it at a reasonable price to someone who would have the time for it.", he says as I roll my eyes.

"I run a billion dollar company and have a wife and son plus another baby on the way. Does it sound like I have the time to ride a motorcycle? Not in the least. Besides, I'm not a motorcyle kind of guy. You should put it online. I guarantee you'd sell it there."

"I was already planning on doing that, but I thought I'd take the chance to see if you might be interested. Bryce and Ben both already passed. Bryce said he has a friend who might want it. Hell, I even thought about asking Dad, but Mom would never let him have a motorcyle."

"Somehow I can't see Dad riding a motorcycle."

* * *

"They should be here soon.", my dad announces to the group that's come together to watch Ben propose to Mia. One of Ben and Mia's favorite places in Seatte is Kerry Park. With its panoramic views of downtown and the Space Needle, I can see exactly why they love it here. The view is incredible as the sun gets close to setting. Ana's sitting on a bench with Jamison in her arms while I look over at the "Changing Form" sculpture that was given by the children of the park's founders Mr. and Mrs. Albert Sperry Kerry Sr.

"This is so exciting!", Spencer shrieks. She loops her arms with Elliot and kisses his cheek. "Don't you agree?"

"It's very exciting.", Elliot replies. "It's not every day that my little sister gets engaged." A crack in his voice is followed by him quickly turning his head. "But some of the plants around here are stirring up my allergies."

"If you say so.", my mom murmurs. Unlike Elliot, she's making no attempt to hide her tears. She and Beverly are standing by the wall and wiping away tears.

"I'm touched that Ben asked me to be a part of this.", Beverly says. "It means a lot to me."

"They're going to be so happy.", Ben's dad adds.

"Are you warm enough baby?", I ask Ana.

"I'm fine.", she says as Jamison starts pouting for me. "Go to Daddy." I make a fish face at him while taking him from her. "I think he's wondering about what's going on."

"Your aunt's going to get engaged. Well, hopefully she'll get engaged after saying yes. I can't imagine her turning Ben down."

"There's no way Mia's going to say no.", Spencer says.

"No way at all.", Ben's mom smiles. My dad looks down at his phone and holds up his left hand.

"Shhh. Ben just texted and said they're going to be here in a few minutes. Elliot get ready to press play on the music." Ben recruited Elliot to be in charge of the music for the proposal. The song he chose to have played is "One Last Night" from The Vaults. Everyone has their eyes and ears to the left where two shadows begin drawing closer. Carrick grins and holds his thumb up as a go sign for Elliot. By now, Ana and I are on our feet and standing by the rest of the well wishers.

"Ben, when can I take this blindfold off?", I hear Mia ask. Ben's carefully leading her in our direction.

"Just a few more steps.", Ben tells her. He glances over at Elliot and gives him a thumbs up to start the music. "We're here."

"Where is here?" Ben slowly removes the blindfold from her eyes, allowing her to take in her surroundings. "We're in Kerry Park, and there's music playing." Ben turns her around so she can see all of us. "Our families are here. Why are our families here? Ben?"

"You're a very inquisitive woman, but that's one of the endless things I love about you." Ben takes Mia's hands in his. "Mia, I didn't know what true happiness was until I met you. It was you who showed me how love not only changes a person but also helps them grow." Ben eases down on one knee and brings out a small black box as Mia sniffles. "I've got a proposal for you."

"All right. What is it?", Mia asks. Beside me, I see Ana hanging on to every word. Ben opens the box where a beautiful diamond ring is resting.

"Let's make a plan. Ten years from tonight, we'll tell our children the story of how I proposed to you. Mia, will you marry me?"

"Yes I will. I'll marry you.", she answers before jumping into his arms.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"Has Ros been in there yet?", Ana asks. I lean back in my office chair and grin at the photo of her on my desk. It's not the same as having her in the office with me, but it's the best I can do since she's on the other side of the phone.

"Not yet, but she should be here any minute." I'm going to show Ros the rough plans for the GEH remodel I've been wanting to do for a while. With her being my second in charge and one of my most trusted friends, I'm anxious to hear her opinion. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do if she doesn't like the idea."

"Christian, she's going to like it. You've got some great ideas on those papers." In the background, I hear a rustling noise. "Speaking of papers, Jamison has grabbed today's Seattle Times and is now settled in the floor with it.", she giggles.

"He's probably looking to see what the market is doing.", I laugh along with her.

"Um, no. He's trying to tear pieces of it off. Jamison, don't do that. We don't eat paper." The rustling sound has now been replaced by crying. "Shh. It's ok. Guess who's on the phone with Mommy."

"Dada.", he coos into the phone.

"Hey little man. It's Dada. I miss you." I begin making kisses into the phone as Ros opens my office door, but I don't let it stop me. "Muah. Muah. Muah."

"Muah.", I hear from my sweet little man.

"You definitely helped prevent a tantrum.", Ana tells me. "He's got a dirty diaper so I'm going to go and get him changed."

"All right baby. Ros just walked in, and I will talk to you later. I love you." After I hang up, I see Ros grinning like a loon. "Are you going to tease me?"

"Why would I tease you about showing love to your wife and son?", she scoffs. "It's sweet. I can tease you though if you'd like."

"No. I'm good.", I murmur while she settles into a chair.

"What's this big news you have?" I hold up a series of sketches which I hand to Ros. "I'm looking at what appears to be a series of rooms. Can you help me out here?"

"You're looking at the next phase for GEH. We're going to remodel the entire building from top to bottom, complete with all new energy efficient equipment. It's going to be a long process done in stages, but in the end, it's going to be great."

"When is this remodel going to start?"

"When we find the right contractor. I know you're probably thinking that I'd want to hire Elliot, but Elliot's already busy with several other projects and will be for quite some time. I'd like to make our intentions known and take bids. What do you think?" Ros continues staring at the sketches in complete silence.

"I think it's a wonderful and exciting idea. I'll do whatever I can to help. Well, don't expect me to start tearing apart a wall or anything, but you get the idea.", she laughs. "It'll be chaotic around here though."

"I'm aware of the craziness that's going to take place, but the end result will be well worth it."

"Then I'm one hundred and ten percent behind you. I also think the staff will be as well. It'll be a good motivator for them.", she says, laying the plans down on my desk. "How's Ana feeling?"

"She assures me that she's feeling great, and I'm taking her word for it. She's stubborn, but she'd be honest with me if she wasn't feeling well. That still doesn't stop me from asking several times a day how she's feeling."

"You wouldn't be you if you didn't. Can I just say that I'm looking forward to the reveal party on Saturday." Ana and I have miraculously managed to hold in that we're having a girl. Saturday, our friends and family will finally learn about Delaney Grace Grey.

"We're looking forward to announcing the news to everyone. It'll be nice to let everyone know not only the gender but also the name we've chosen."

"You've got a name? Huh. Now I'm even more anxious for the party. You could go ahead and tell me if you'd like since I know it's got to be difficult not telling anyone.", she says.

"Nice try but no.", I chuckle.

"I tried."

* * *

"Ah, there you two are." I find both Ana and Jamison in the bedroom where they're snuggled on the bed. Jamison stirs away from her and holds his arms out for me.

"We were both a little tired so we decided to rest for a bit while we waited on you to get home from work." I undo my tie and place it in the arm chair and then climb on to the bed with my family. Jamison tries to stand up, but I bring him against my chest and kiss the top of his head.

"Did you play hard today? I bet you kept Mommy on her toes."

"He most certainly did.", Ana replies. "But we had a good day. We played with some blocks, watched some cartoons, and then played with the blocks some more. He napped and ate in there as well."

"Is this the first time you've actually rested today?", I ask while Ana raises up in the bed.

"I've sat down some."

"I wish you would've napped instead." She leans over and takes my face in her hands. "Will you try to nap?"

"Ok.", she says. Her lips then touch mine. "The bakery called earlier to confirm that we're picking up the cupcakes on Saturday at one. I said one of us would be there at one on the dot."

"Ros tried to get me to tell her whether we're having a boy or a girl, but I did good. I held in the secret."

"We've done well this far so why should we ruin it. Come Saturday, all of our friends and family will see Jamison's shirt with the words "I'm Having a Sister" as well as the pink filling in the cupcakes."

* * *

**A POV**

"Ana, I'm sorry that I'm not going to make it to the reveal party tomorow.", Candace sighs and then pouts. "I'm scheduled to work a double shift at the diner." She and Maxie stopped by the house after their workout at the gym.

"Boo.", Maxie mutters on the cushion next to her. "I thought with classes out for the summer you'd relax since you were going nonstop with school and work."

"I'm trying to do better, but the diner has been busy lately. Besides, I knew Mary and Carol wanted to be at the party more than me so I volunteered to work so they wouldn't have to. You really have no room to talk about relaxing."

"I feel like this converation is about to get interesting.", I giggle. I rub my hands together and motion for Maxie to enlighten me on what Candace is referring to.

"Things with Cooper are going well. I never thought I'd have good luck with a blind date, yet I feel like I won the lottery. He's incredible in all ways, and I mean _all _ways."

"She means in the horizontal way.", Candace whispers to me.

"And in the vertical way.", Maxie shrugs, making me almost spit out the juice I just took a drink of. "The guy works out, and it shows. There are nights where it goes on for hours. I'm not complaining because it's the best I've ever had, but it can be a little tiring at times."

"I'm glad that you and Cooper are doing well. I remember how you were so against the blind date your mother set up. I'm sure she's proud of herself.", I say.

"She is beyond proud of herself. She reminds me from time to time that I was wrong and she was right. She's got it in her mind that I'll end up marrying Cooper. I'm not saying down the road in the future it won't happen, but we're still in the "newness" stage." Oh but I saw that Mia's getting engaged. I was picking up some things at the store yesterday when I bumped into her. She flashed her ring and started getting giddy while talking about last week's proposal. It sounded like it was a beautiful moment."

"Mia's engaged? Congrats to her.", Candace says.

"It was a very beautiful moment to watch. Ben gathered all of his and Mia's loved ones at Kerry Park. It was just as the sun was setting and was perfect. Everyone cried although Elliot kept saying his were from allergies."

"That's the oldest excuse in the book.", Maxie laughs as I hear Jamison crying over the monitor.

"He's awake from his nap."

"It won't be long until you have two napping."

* * *

"Ana, you're radiant.", Grace smiles. She wraps her arms around me and then deepens her smile she looks down at my bump. "I see my grandson or granddaughter is growing by the day."

"Thriving."

"Notice that she didn't say he or she.", Carrick laughs. "You and Christian have done a wonderful job at keeping the secret."

"And we intend to keep it that way.", Christian tells his dad while joining us. Beside Christian is my dad, Mary, Charles, and Carol. They've been fawning over Jamison who's toddled off to Elliot and Spencer. Christian leans in to me. "So far no one has tried to see if Jamison has a shirt on underneath his button up." As with the baby announcement, Jamison's wearing the message tee underneath a button up shirt.

"I think they truly want to be surprised even if they act like they don't. Besides, Jamison hasn't been still long enough for them to check." He stretches his head towards Elliot who has his eyes trained on the cupcakes. "If Elliot touches those cupcakes, I'm going to get him."

"Elliot probably knows you're watching him and only wants to tease you.", my dad says.

"How about I go and get Jamison so we can make the announcement?", I ask Christian. I kiss him briefly and go to Jamison. He immediately starts running towards me. "Don't run." I take him in my arms and smother him with kisses. "It's time for the big reveal." When I walk over to Christian, he takes my free hand and leads me to the front of the living room.

"It's happening!", Mia shrieks. "I'm so excited!"

"Yeah...you really don't need any sugar.", Elliot scoffs.

"She's already naturally sweet.", Ben says, winking at Mia.

"Before things get any more embarrassing or awkward, we're going to let you all find out whether we're having a boy or a girl. Ana, Jamison, and I want to thank all of you for being here today for this moment. We can't wait to bring our new little one into the world.", Christian says.

"Once again, Jamison's wearing a tee shirt with the announcement.", I add. "Are you ready to find out?"

"Very ready.", Charles answers. Christian begins unsnapping the buttons from the top shirt. He then takes the shirt off Jamison, and I turn so everyone can see the words.

"A girl!", the room shouts.

"I had a feeling it was a girl.", Ros sighs. "Christian said you've got a name?"

"The name of our baby girl is Delaney Grace Grey.", I reply.


	24. Chapter 24

**A POV**

"Ana, I'm touched you and Christian chose to have Grace as Delaney's middle name. It means a lot to me." Grace takes a tissue from the box on the end table and dabs the corners of her eyes.

"You mean a lot to us." I rest my hands on my stomach and look down at the Jamison who's sleeping next to me on the sofa. He crawled up on the sofa and fell asleep in minutes. I run my hands through his copper locks as Mia walks out of the kitchen where she's been on the phone with Ben.

"Do you want me to carry him upstairs?", Mia asks. Carrick and Grace have designated one of the guest rooms as the kids' room. It's complete with a bed and lots of toys.

"I don't want to wake him, but maybe we should get going.", I reply.

"Stay a while longer.", Grace tells me.

"Ok. Mia, you can take him upstairs." She gently lifts Jamison from the sofa and secures him in her arms. Grace and I watch as Mia carefully goes up the stairs. Five minutes later, she returns to the living room and sits down on the sofa with me.

"Not a single move.", she smiles. "Now that we're settled, I was hoping to discuss the wedding a little bit. I've already asked Spencer to be a bridesmaid, and now I'm asking if you'd be my maid of honor."

"I'd love to be your maid of honor. Thank you. Have you and Ben talked about a date?"

"We're leaning towards the fall. It'll give us the time we need to plan. I'm sure you probably think I've got most of it already planned, but I don't. I used to dream about the whole princess style wedding, but now I'm not sure. I might combine a touch of modern with a dash of traditional."

"It's your wedding day so you should make it the way you and Ben want.", Grace says.

"Grace is right. The important thing is the day is about you and Ben and your love. When Christian and I got married, I tuned out everything around us. That might sound selfish, but the rest of the world ceased existing."

"It's not selfish. It's how love should be.", Mia smiles. "It should be so strong that nothing else matters."

* * *

"Mia said she and Ben might have a fall wedding.", I tell Christian who appears to be more interested in the papers in front of him than in what I'm saying to him. "I'm going to go and get ready for bed." I stand and start to the study door, but he's behind me before I have a chance to open it.

"Don't go. I'm sorry that I wasn't paying attention. I got wrapped up in the list of potential contractors for the remodel. Any other time I'd have a list of incompetent people but not this time. There's several well known and successful names on there. Roger Hardin, the guy who did the remodel of city hall a few years ago, has submitted his name. Ana, he's one of the best around."

"You should hire him."

"I can't hire him off the bat. He's just one on the list which I might add isn't the final list. The deadline isn't until next week. I'm just wowed at the talent." I step away from the door and go over to one of the chairs as he remains standing.

"Christian, you've built an empire that anyone would want to be associated with so naturally the best people are going to want to work with you. I sense the names are going to become more and more prominent as the deadline nears."

"And that will only make it more difficult to chose someone."

"Perhaps you could have two contractors.", I suggest. "It's going to be a big remodel that's going to take a lot of time and energy. If there's two contractors, the work might speed along." He walks to the window behind his desk, staring through the blinds. He turns back around and smiles on his way back to me.

"You're a genius. I love that idea.", he says as he gets down in front of me on his knees and kisses me with fervor.

* * *

**C POV**

"Jamison, you've got to eat your cereal." I bring the spoon to his mouth, only to have him turn his head. "Mommy was tired so I told her I'd feed you breakfast while she rested. Please cooperate with me." He glances at me and giggles. "You're being silly." I take the spoon and once again bring it towards his mouth. "Here comes the airplane. Here it comes." He opens his mouth wide and take the cereal. "Mmm. Isn't that good?"

"Yeah.", he answers while pointing at the spoon. As I continue with the airplane, I feel eyes staring at me from behind the counter. With a quick glance, I turn and see Bryce, Taylor, and Sawyer all grinning. They must have slipped inside through the side door.

"How long have the three of you been standing there?"

"Not very long but long enough.", Taylor replies. He walks over to the table and sits down on the other side of Jamison while Bryce and Sawyer plant themselves on stools at the breakfast bar. "Gail's still at the house with Riley, but she'll be here soon. Where are Ana and Charles?"

"Ana's still in bed, and Charles left about fifteen minutes ago. He has a big meeting at work and wanted to get to the office to go over some things beforehand."

"Did you get a chance to look over the list of contractors?", Bryce asks.

"I did go over the names which by the way include some of the best contractors around. I had a moment of panic at the idea of not being able to pick someone. Ana came to the rescue with the proposal of hiring two contractors."

"Two, huh.", Sawyer says. "I see how having two would be a good idea. One crew could be on one part while the other crew is on another part. The time could be cut down."

"I don't want to sound like a downer, but you'd have to make sure the two contractors got along.", Taylor tells me. "The last thing you want on a big remodel is the contractors butting heads." I wipe off Jamison's face and take in Taylor's words. "It could end up taking more time if they don't get along."

"You've got a point there.", I murmur. "I'm going to ponder it some more." I push my chair back and take Jamison out of his chair. "How about we get your cleaned up and take you to see Mommy?" I look over at the others. "I'll be back in a little bit."

* * *

In the bedroom, I see that Ana's stirring awake, but I still tiptoe to the bed. She smiles through a yawn. As she sits up in the bed, I fail miserably at holding back my laughter over her hair sticking out all her head.

"What's funny?", she asks while Jamison and I sit down next to her on the bed. Unlike me, the baby is wearing the most serious expression on his face. "Jamison, why is Daddy laughhing?"

"Your hair is all over the place.", I chuckle. I expect her to laugh with me, but a scowl appears instead. "I'm sorry. If it makes you feel any better, you look adorable."

"Good to know that I've gotten your day off to an amusing start."

"Ana, I'm sorry for laughing." She kisses Jamison's cheek and then brings her eyes back to me. "I don't want to go to work with you upset." I test the waters, inching closer to her. "Sorry baby."

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't get upset over something silly like you laughing about my hair. I guess I woke up in a blah mood."

"I don't have much on my plate at work today so how about I work from home?"

"You're gearing up for a major remodel at work, meaning you have a lot on your plate." Jamison crawls back to me as she swings her feet on to the floor. "I'm pregnant, and I'm going to have days where I'm tired. That's a given. It also shouldn't hinder you from work."

"When are you going to get it through your head that I will drop whatever, whenever when it comes to my family? Haven't we been together long enough for you to know that work doesn't even come close to being as important as my you, Jamison, and Delaney?" I surprise myself with how high my voice has gotten.

"I do understand how important we are to you. Don't for one second think otherwise.", she snaps back. "I love how deep your love runs, but I also sometimes feel like..." She stops when she looks over at Jamison. Sensing this conversation might become heated, I pick up Jamison and slowly walk out of the room with him. Nancy's picking up some old magazines in the living room when I walk down the stairs.

"Nancy, can you watch Jamison for a bit and tell Taylor I'm going to be leaving late this morning." With a smile, she takes Jamison before I head back to the bedroom. I close the door and stride towards Ana.

"Now proceed to telling me how you feel?"

"Like you're treating me like I'm naive and can't take care of myself. You did the same thing when I was pregnant with Jamison. I get the sense that you feel like I can't be trusted to take care of my own body."

"Ana, calm down. You blood pressure will go up." She falls back on to the bed and cups her face in her hands. I ease next to her and place my arm around her, feeling the tension start to ease.

"This is all because of my damn hair sticking up.", she growls. "It set off a chain reaction." I hear her beautiful laugh for the first time this morning. "Maybe I'll lay back down and then get back up."

"A redo sounds good.", I wink.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"Is this ok?" I look up at Ana in disbelief as she rides me.

"Baby, it's so good.", I moan, pulling her face down to mine. My lips can't get enough of hers. She pulls away but gives me the most seductive look. I move my left hand from the mattress and bring it to her clit, pushing a finger in while my cock pumps inside her. We've been going at it since we stepped into the bedroom. Ana had looked exhausted earlier, but she suddenly found a second wind the second we got to the bed.

"Fuck Christian. I'm close.", she murmurs. Hearing my sweet wife curse turns me on even more. I keep my finger inside her and then move my free hand to her waist. Being beneath her is like standing in front of a masterpiece of art.

"Give it to me baby." She rolls her head back and tightens her grip on the sheets as her orgasm hits. I thrust into her harder, spilling my release into her sweet core. She collapses her head on my chest and starts to come down from the high.

In the bliss of our afterglow, we cuddle with only the light from the moon shining through the window. With our legs tangled together in the sheets, Ana rests her head on my chest. I stare down at her and smile over the thought of how fucking lucky I am.

"I really was tired earlier.", she mumbles through her semiconscious state.

"Yet you somehow found the energy to ravage my body.", I smirk. She raises her head and rolls her eyes. "Admit it. You can't get enough of me."

"Maybe or maybe my hormones have me all over the place. One minute I can be as cool as a cucumber, and the next I'm crying over not being able to find the tv remote." I look sympathetically at her in recollection of this afternoon when I arrived home to find her pulling all of the sofa cushions up in search of the remote. She was in tears as I tried to assure her we'd find the remote. It turns out the remote wasn't lost, only hidden. Jamison had apparenty grabbed it from the coffee table and placed it in the kitchen. He proudly grabbed my hand and led me to the corner where he had placed the remote. Ana's tears subsided into laughter once she saw what Jamison had done.

"Baby, the hormones are nothing."

"How can you say that when I'm constantly being all hot and cold with you?", she asks.

"Because I know the hormones are a natural part of the pregnancy." I caress her bare arm, only stopping when I hear a soft snore. "Night Ana.", I whisper before falling asleep myself.

* * *

"Christian, Roger Hardin is here.", April informs me.

"Send him in." She moves away from my office door and reappears a few seconds later with Roger Hardin, one of the top contractors around. His name is one of several on the list for the remodel. I was a little shocked when he called yesterday afternoon and asked for a meeting. He walks with confidence into the room and immediately holds his hand out as I stand. "Mr. Hardin, it's nice to meet you."

"Likewise Mr. Grey.", he replies while sitting down. "Thank you for meeting with me."

"You're welcome. I have to say I was a surprised when I got your call. I'm aware of your name being on the list of possible contractors for my company's remodel, but I haven't gone past the first stage yet. I'm still in the process of taking names."

"I'm very aware of that. I also am aware that you've got a lot of top notch contractors." I cock my head in confusion. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know the best people are going to be rallying for this job. I, however, am not one of the best. I am the best." This guy can't be accused of lacking confidence. "That leads to the nature of my visit. I'm here to tell you that you're only going to be wasting your time with looking at the other names."

"So I should save my time and the trouble by hiring you?", I ask with amusement. Granted choosing the contractor is going to difficult, but I want the chance to make sure the right one is hired. "I appreciate your concern for my time, but I'm going to be looking at each name on the list which isn't complete yet. The deadline is Friday at five." He doesn't seem happy to hear this information.

"What can I do to to move my name to the top of the list? Perhaps I can offer you my house in the Hamptons. It's a beautiful place this time of year, and I'm sure your wife would like it."

"I don't do bribes."

"It's not a bribe. Think of it as a gift from one friend to the other."

"Friends? You and I only met a few minutes ago. I wouldn't call us friends."

"Not yet, but I can sense you and I could be great friends." He adjusts his tie. "Mr. Grey, you want the best which I am. You and I can help each other. Think of the all the press you'd receive in exchange for hiring me. I take it you saw my work on city hall."

"Yes, and you did a wonderful job on it. I'm not saying that I won't hire you. I'm only saying that I can't choose you over the rest, at least not now. Being a businessman, I would think you'd understand my point of view."

"I suppose.", he sighs as he stands. "I at least gave it a shot. I'll let you get back to your work." We shake hands one last time, and he exits my office. I could have indeed saved myself some trouble, but I know I did the right thing by not agreeing to his offer.

* * *

**A POV**

"Here." Jamison crushes his cookie and places the crumbs in my hand.

"Thank you." I toss the crumbs into the garbage can and then go to the sink to wash my hands. Once I'm finished, I grab a wipe and clean Jamison's hands. A frown is on his face as he stares at the garbage can. "Baby boy, Mommy had to throw the cookie away, but thank you for offering it to me. You're sweet. Can I have a kiss?" I bend and feel him press his lips to my cheeks. "Awww. Perfect." I pick him up and carry him into the living room where I see Charles. "Hey. I didn't know you'd be home so early."

"Since I've been working late the last few evenings, my boss told me to take off early today. I wasn't going to argue with him.", he chuckles. "I figured I'd catch up on some laundry."

"And possibly go to see Carol?", I ask, settling down with Jamison.

"Carol's working the late shift at the diner tonight. She won't be off until around eleven.", he murmurs.

"Why is she not working her usual day shift?"

"Tiffany, the new girl who started a few weeks ago, had a family function to attend, and Carol offered to switch shifts with her. I know it's her job, one that she's had for a while, but I don't like Carol working so late at night. It might be not be as busy, but crazy things can happen at night."

"Crazy things can happen any time.", I tell him. "I worked plenty late shifts at the diner, and they're not so bad. It was actually during one of those shifts that I met Christian. He stopped in for coffee, and the rest is history." I glance down at Jamison and then my stomach. Charles sweays on his feet and drops back in on to the ottoman.

"I can see that you're trying to make me feel better, but I'm now kind of worried about a millionaire coming and sweeping her off her feet."

"That's not going to happen. Carol only has eyes for one guy. You."

"I only found out this afternoon, but I've got an appointment to look at an apartment tomorrow. On the outside, the building is nice and is in a good neighborhood. It's also about halfway between here and my office." Christian and I knew Charles was looking around for his own place, but I didn't know how close he was to finding a place.

"You know you can stay here as long as you want. We like having you here."

"Well, I like being here, but it's time for me to move out. It's what best for all of us. You and Christian are going to be welcoming Delaney soon, and I'm getting more serious with Carol. I feel guilty when I arrive home late." Jamison wiggles his way out of my arms and slowly climbs on to the floor. He does a quick take at the tv remote which is his new favorite thing to hide. Instead of going for the remote, he goes to Charles. "Just because I won't be here doesn't mean I won't come by and see you. I'm so grateful for the time that I've had with you."

"Like you said, you'll still see him and all of us.", I smile.

* * *

"I had the most interesting meeting with Roger Hardin." Christian walks over to the fridge and grabs one of the small chocolate milk cartons that I've been keeping stocked in the fridge. I giggle as I watch him standing in his suit with the carton. He pulls a chair out and sits down at the table with me.

"How was it interesting?"

"The guy is definitely set on getting the remodeling job."

"That's good. You don't want someone who isn't interested to do it.", I shrug. Christian takes a sip of the milk and slides the carton over to me so I can get a drink.

"He's so interested that he made a bribe by offering me the use of his place in the Hampton. The guy must not realize that I can buy the whole damn Hamptons if I want, but that's beside the point. He may have an outstanding record, yet some of the other contractors do as well. I want things to be fair. That's not too much to ask, right?"

"Not at all. You did the right thing." I start to push the carton back to him, but he shakes his head. "Are you sure you don't want more?"

"I'm sure. So...I guess with Charles moving it'll be just the three of us here."

"Until our little princess arrives." Charles told Christian about the apartment after he arrived home from work. As suspected, Christian voiced his support for Charles. "It's ok to admit that you're going to miss having Charles around. I'm going to miss him."

"It's not like he's moving back to New York. He'll still be around and a part of our lives. I just got used to seeing him at the dinner table or watching tv on the sofa. We've really made great progress."

"I see that progress everytime I look in your eyes and also when I look into Charles's. You not only care for each other, but you also love each other.", I say as I slurp the last of the milk.

"I do in fact love him. You know who else I love?"

"Hmmm. Could it be oh I don't know...me?"

"Yes you."


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"Charles, this is a very nice place.", I say. Charles's tour of the apartment yesterday went so well that he decided on the spot he wanted to take it. He asked Christian and I to come over this evening to look have a look at it, but Christian is still at the office so he's meeting us here.

"I think so too. I especially like how the living room and kitchen are separate yet flow together with the open window." He runs from the living room and into the kitchen where he pops his head out of the wooden window frame. "This opens and closes." He slides the window shut and then back open. "I can see myself having company over." He rejoins me in the kitchen just as Christian walks through the door. I feel heat sweep over my entire body at the site of Christian standing in his black dress pants, white dress shirt, and black suit jacket. He removes the jacket and hangs it over his arm while walking around the living in silence. "Christian, what do you think?" Christian treads to the double windows on the right side of the room. I see his reflection through the glass but can't get a read on his expression.

"The living room is nice.", Christian answers, pointing towards the kitchen. "The kitchen I assume?"

"Yes." Charles and I follow Christian into the kitchen which has light green walls and hardwood floors. "All of the kitchen appliances come with the apartment so I won't have to worry about buying new ones. The owner said he'd remove them in case I wanted to purchase my own, but I like the ones in here now. They've very modernized."

"You'll need a table and some chairs."

"Yes, but it shouldn't be difficult to find a suitable table set. How about I show you the bedrooms and the bathrooms?" It's evident that Charles wants Christian to like the place, something that he seemed anxious about with me as well. We walk back through the living room and into the hallway. "There's a bathroom in here." Charles opens the door at the right end of the hallway. "There's a bedroom in the room next to it and yet another bedroom in the room next to that." He opens both bedroom doors which lead to two decent size bedrooms. Both have off white carpeting and off white paint. "The master bedroom is at the other end." Charles moves past us and slowly opens the door to the master bedroom. Decorated in light blue color scheme and the same off white carpet as the other bedrooms, the master bedroom is twice the size. "It has a walk in closet and a massive master bath." The master bath has a spacious walk in shower as well as large tub. A door separates the shower and tub from the toilet. "I like this place very much. It feels like a place where I can come home in the evenings and relax. Again I ask, what do you think?"

"I think you'd be a fool not to take this place.", Christian replies. "It's great. The location is incredible, but the apartment itself is perfect."

"I'm glad to hear that. I can start moving in as early as this weekend."

"This weekend? That's um soon.", Christian murmurs. I move next to Christian and rest my head on his shoulder. "But if that's when you can move, then I'll do whatever I can to help." Charles's eyes begin watering in the corners. "We're going to miss you being around so much."

"I'm going to miss you all too. I'm grateful that you let me stay at the house, but I'm even more grateful for the bonding we've done. I hope I don't freak you out when I say this, but I love you." Christian's eyes are consumed with tears over Charles's admission. "I had to say it. I've been wanting to for a while but never got the courage."

"I'm glad you said it because I have something to say to you as well. I love you. Those are three words I once never said to anyone, but a certain woman changed that." Christian smiles down at me. "Now when I love someone, I'm not afraid to say it."

"I love you both.", I sniffle with tears rapidly falling down my face. "And now I need some tissue."

* * *

"Jamison, you can stay up a few minutes longer, but then you're going to bed.", Christian tells Jamison who's curled up in Christian's lap on the sofa. After touring the new apartment, Charles headed out to meet Carol for dinner while Christian and I came home and had our own dinner.

"Just think when he gets a little older, he's going to want to stay up past his bedtime. Then he'll want to stay out past his curfew.", I giggle as Jamison snuggles against Christian's chest.

"I'm sure we'll be told we're being unfair and no fun."

"Baby boy, your dad and I are fun and only do things to look out for you." I reach over and kiss Jamison's forehead. "You probably won't remember this conversation when you're sixteen, but it'll be repeated." I notice that Christian's fighting to stay awake. "We should go on to bed ourselves."

"You should, but I need to go over some more things for work first.", he yawns. "Tomorrow's the deadline for names to be submitted for the remodel, and naturally I received several more today."

"Christian, I know this remodel means a lot to you and is going to send GEH to the next level, but I don't want you to stress yourself out over it."

"I'm not stressed or not stressed too much. Once I choose the contractor, things should settle down somewhat."

"Well, I think this little guy has stayed up long enough, and I'm going to go and lay him down. Then I'm going to change into my comfy pajamas and do some reading."

"If you're going to read in order to stay awake for me, don't. I want you to get the sleep you need."

"I will, but I really want to finish the book I started yesterday."

"If that's your story...", he laughs.

* * *

**C POV**

"Christian, this was delivered for you." I look up to find Andrea walking into my office with a large gift basket. After she places it on the top of my desk, I see there's an assortment of cookies and candies inside the basket. I reach for the attached card and see the words:

**Sending positive thoughts your way during your search.**

**Roger Hardin**

"Thanks Andrea." As she leaves, Ros pads into the office with her eyes on the basket. "This is from Roger Hardin. He knows today is the final day for accepting names, and he's clearly trying one last time to get an edge over the competition." Ros sorts through the basket and grabs a small box of mint cookies. "Help yourself."

"Don't mind if I do.", she smirks while sitting down. "You told the guy offering gifts wouldn't help him, and yet he's still doing it. Have you heard from any of the other contractors?"

"I had a call from Dan Rollins. He's not as much of a big name contractor as Hardin, but he's got an impressive record. He also didn't offer me a bribe. All he said was that he appreciated being in consideration and would look forward to my call regardless if I choose him or not."

"You want to know what I think? Roger Hardin may be very well be as talented of a contractor as he claims, but he might also have gotten to where he is by bribing people. I mentioned his name last night to Gwen who has a friend that used to work as an assistant at city hall. Her friend once told her about the arrogant guy who was dating the city's press secretary. Do you want to guess who the guy was?"

"Roger Hardin.", I reply. "So the guy dated the city's press secretary which could have very well helped him get the city hall remodel job. I will give him credit that the city hall building is one of the nicest I've ever seen, but the way he possibly got the job irks me." I roll up the sleeves of my shirt and groan at the lists of names in front of me. "Will you help me choose the right person?"

"You know I will. I'll do whatever I can to help with the entire process. Don't be afraid to ask for my help." She reaches for the papers on the desk and stands. "I'll take these to my office and start looking over them. Your deadline is still a few hours away, but hopefully all of the names have been turned in. Perhaps you should take a quick nap on your sofa."

"Why would I take a nap in my office in the middle of the day?"

"Because you look like hell.", she laughs as walks away.

Alone in my office, I glance at the sofa which is looking more and more tempting. Going over the contractors' names was the brunt of what I had for today, but thanks to Ros I now have a break. I roll my chair back and take off my jacket before going over to the sofa. Ana was right in trying to get me to bed earlier last night, but I was stubborn as usual. My head eases back on to the arm of the sofa, and I close my eyes.

* * *

"Christian?" I open my eyes and see Ana standing next to the sofa. "Hey sleepy head."

"Hey baby. I thought I'd take a little nap, but I'm not sure how long I've been asleep." Looking down at my watch, I see that I was only asleep for about thirty. "Not as long as I thought I was. What brings you by?"

"I was at home and started thinking about this dream I had last night. I started to tell you about it this morning, but you were out the door before I had a chance. I asked Nancy to watch Jamison while I had Sawyer bring me here. Do you want to hear about my dream?", she asks with her long lashes fluttering. "We were in this office like we are now."

"I'm listening."

"And you were exactly where you are while I was standing here." As she talks, she pulls her hair from her low ponytail. She then steps out of her flats and smiles. "Want me to continue?"

"Yes.", I stammer. Her hand goes to my belt, undoing it and then moving to the zipper. I moan at the feel of her fingers grazing the lining of my hardening cock.

"You were hard just like you are now. I then unzipped your pants and with a little assistance from you I pushed your boxers down, and then I climbed on to the sofa with you." My breathing is shallow while she does exactly as she did her dream. "I lean down and flick my tongue like this." The sensation of her tongue against my cock is incredible. "I grip hold of you and start stroking you. Does this feel good?"

"Fuck yes."

"That's what you said in the dream.", she giggles. "I stop and replace my hand with my mouth, slowly easing you inside." She slides my cock in her mouth, sucking on it for a few seconds and then moving her lips away. "I then get you in as far as possible." My eyes widen as she pushes my cock all the way into her mouth. She fondles my balls while sucking me. I grip the sofa cushion and stare down at Ana's head bobbing below me. She looks up at me with those blue eyes that sends me into a tailspin.

"Ana, I'm going to...", I mutter. She keeps her mouth locked on me while I spill into her mouth.

"That is exactly how my dream went." Both of us get us and go to the bathroom to clean up. "Did you enjoy that?"

"Baby, I enjoyed that very much."

"Good. When I was on my way in here, I ran into Ros who said she had the contractors' names."

"I'm glad she took those names."

"You should learn how to ask for help more."

"I'm going to do that.", I tell her. "In the meantime, was what happened on the sofa all that took place in your dream?" She raises up on her toes and kisses me.

"I guess you'll find out later.", she winks.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: I started out as a reader in fan fiction, first reading CSI: NY fanfics and then discovering the FSOG fandom. I brought up the idea of writing my own story to a friend who encouraged me to give it a try, and once I did, I was hooked. I found that it helped get my thoughts and ideas out, but more importantly, served as an escape from the often harshness of real life. If only for a while, the writers and readers have a world where they can go and briefly forget about the outside world. I'm grateful for those who have supported me on this journey. I've met many wonderful people from all corners of the world. Many friendships have been created because of the chance I took. I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart. You give me the push I sometimes need so thank you. Here's the next chapter of Need You Now: Part Two.**

**C POV**

"I've comprised two lists, one with the names of people who I don't feel should be in the running and the other list with people who might be the one we want to hire." I look down at the two folders which Ros has laid on my desk. It's Saturday morning, but she stopped by the house to drop off the lists of contractors.

"Which is which?", I ask.

"The one on the left contains the promising ones.", she answers. "Even though I've given you these, I want you to try and still enjoy the weekend." She stands from her chair in front of my study desk and grins while watching me pick up the folders and then placing them in the top desk drawer.

"I'll look over them tomorrow, but for today, I'll follow your advice."

"Dada!", Jamison shouts from the other side of the door. I push my chair back and sprint to open the door for my little guy. "Dada!" He squeals in laugher as I take him into my arms.

"Hey buddy. What are you doing?"

"Running away from me.", an exasperated Ana sighs after catching up to him. "We might have an Olympic runner on our hands. Hi Ros."

"Hi Ana. I'm sorry for showing up here on a Saturday, but I wanted to go ahead and give Christian the contractor lists. I saw how he got stressed with it so I spent yesterday afternoon and night in addition to early this morning looking over the names, but I see light at the end of the tunnel."

"I brought up the idea to Christian about having two people working on the remodel, but as he said Bryce pointed out, things could get complicated with two contractors."

"The two contractor idea might be good, but I agree. Things are difficult enough with one person so imagine how things could get messy with two."

"It's also a trying task just picking one right person, and I know deciding on two would be even more of a headache. Ros, which list is Roger's Hardin's name on?"

"I put his name on the list of people who I don't think would be good. He might be an expert contractor, but from what you've told me and what I've heard, he's not a good person. We need someone who earned the job on their own merit not from offering vacations and sending gift baskets even though there were delicious cookies inside."

"I don't have a hand in the remodel, but I agree with your opinion of Roger Hardin.", Ana says. She wraps her arms around my waist and wiggles her nose at Jamison.

"I promised Gwen I'd help choose new wallpaper for the kitchen so I'd better go.", Ros groans. "Can you see the enthusiam on my face?"

"Oh yes, definitely.", I chuckle. "You're practically bursting at the seams with excitement."

"You can laugh all you want, but it won't be long until you have the pleasure of decorating Delaney's nursery."

"I'll have you know that I don't have an issue with decorating rooms. We might have had a little trouble deciding on a theme for Jamison's nursery, but it wasn't so bad. I expect the same thing will happen when it comes to Delaney's nursery."

"Perhaps you'd like to go with Gwen to pick out wallpaper then." Crossing her arms, Ros smirks at the defeat in my eyes. "Ah, you don't look so confident now." I turn my head at the sound of Ana's giggling.

"You're not helping matters.", I growl.

"Sorry.", Ana says unconvincingly.

* * *

"Hey Christian, I need to...", Elliot says after walking into the house unannounced and catching Ana and I in the middle of a heated makeout session. Ana quickly hops out of my lap and adjusts her blouse while I give Elliot a harsh glare. "You guys really shouldn't be doing that out in the open where anyone can see."

"Oh I'm sorry Elliot. Forgive us for making out in our own home while you just show up without calling.", I snap

"I'm sorry for showing up unannounced, but I really need to talk to you."

"I'm going to go and make sure Jamison's still napping, and then I'm going to get some rest myself.", Ana says. She gives me a quick peck on the lips and goes upstairs. Elliot, sensing that I'm not in the best mood, cautiously sits down in the chair furthest from me.

"Elliot, what do you want to talk about that's so important?", I ask.

"I'm considering asking Spencer if she wants to move in together although I want us to find a new place instead of moving into her apartment."

"You've already lived together before so why are you acting as if it'll be a bad thing?"

"When we lived together before, it didn't work out. We fought constantly and were miserable.", he says.

"All of that was before you improved your relationship. You've been doing better with your communicating and other issues. I believe you'll be fine.", I tell him.

"I'm scared of it not working. I'm much better at helping out and cleaning, but what if I mess up and Spencer decides she wants out? I almost couldn't survive being without her before, and if it happens again, I don't know if I'll be able to repair my heart."

"But you're the one wanting to move back in together."

"I know.", he sighs. "I'm so torn. I want to take that step but I'm terrified."

"You have to trust things are going to work out. You and Spencer went through a tough time, but you got through it. That was a sign that even though things aren't always going to be perfect, you can overcome the bad."

"I'm usually a calm and cool guy, but when it comes to Spencer, I'm the opposite. The girl has me complete putty." The sound of thunder rolling in the distance draws our attention. "Sounds like we're about to get some rain. I'm going to get back home before it starts, and then I'm going to call Spencer when she gets off work so we can set up a time to talk. Thanks for listening, and I'm sorry for barging in on you and Ana. Please give her my apologies."

"I will."

* * *

**A POV**

"There must be something interesting outside." I spin around and see Gail smiling behind me. "I didn't mean to sneak up on you."

"I've been watching the clouds. We got that rain yesterday, but it looks as if we're going to get some stronger storms soon. I figured you'd be enjoying your lazy Sunday with Taylor and Riley."

"I've been enjoying every moment of it, but both Jason and Riley are sleeping." I catch a glimpse of the wall clock and see that's it ten a.m. "They were both awake early and got tired after breakfast. Jason suggested that I go back to bed as well, but I wasn't sleepy. I thought I'd come over and see you all. Are Christian and Jamison still asleep?"

"They've both been awake for hours and are upstairs playing. How about we go and sit on the porch for a while since the rain seems to be holding off for now?"

"I'd like that.", she answers, following me to the door and out on to the front porch where we each sit down in one of the wicker chairs. "It certainly feels like rain."

"It does. I stepped outside yesterday not long after the rain had stopped. Of course I didn't get on the muddy grass, but I took in the scent of the freshly rained upon grass. I've always enjoyed that smell."

"I have too. I've got some wonderful news. Jason talked with his ex-wife last night, and Sophie's going to be visiting in a few weeks. She was going to be visiting during her spring break, but she hurt her ankle playing soccer. Jason and I are anxious to see her."

"Gail, that's great. How long is she going to be staying?"

"For now, a week although her mother said she might be willing to let her stay another week. I hope she does. It's been a while since she's visited. Jason was Skyping with her the other night, and he couldn't believe how much she's grown. She said she looks forward to seeing Riley." A light rain begins falling around us. "I'm going to go back to the house before the rain gets worse.", Gail says as she stands. "Have you by any chance talked to April today?"

"Not today. Should I?", I ask. Gail grins and starts down the steps without answering. "Gail, what's going on?"

"I'm sure you'll hear from her today. Bye." I stand as Christian opens the door and steps out on to the porch with Jamison in tow.

"Did I hear Gail?"

"Yeah. She stopped by to talk while Taylor and Riley were sleeping."

"Jason Taylor's still sleeping? I thought the guy was always awake at the crack of dawn.", Christian laughs. "Something on your mind?"

"Have you talked to Bryce today?"

"No. With him being off this weekend, I haven't heard from him. Is something going on with him?" I take Jamison from Christian and stare out at the rain which has the baby mesmorized.

"I'm not sure. Gail asked if I've talked to April, and when I said no, she had this weird grin. It was like she knows something and wanted to tell me, but she didn't. I don't think it's anything bad considering the grin. I'm curious."

"Maybe Bryce and April eloped.", Christian joke, only I don't laugh.

"She mentioned a few weeks they might just go to the courthouse. I'm going to call April to see if she and Bryce want to come over later if it's not raining too much."

* * *

"It's still only a steady rain.", Bryce murmurs after he and April sit down in the living room. "As long as we don't get any severe weather, we'll be fine."

"It's certainly been a dreary weekend.", Christian says. "So your parents are watching Alex?"

"Yeah. They've had him since last night, but we're going to pick him after we leave here. It's the first time he's spent the night away from us, and it was pure torture. I missed him."

"What have you guys been doing this weekend?", I ask, clasping my hands together and then glancing between April and Bryce. "Anything exciting?"

"We went to the movies on Friday night.", April replies. "How about you all?"

"We've had a relaxing weekend at the house, but I want to know more about your weekend. The movies can't be the only thing you did. There had to have been something else." I notice April looking at Bryce from the corner of her eye. "I'm only asking because Gail asked if I had talked to you. I gott the feeling she knew some sort of a secret."

"April, we were going to tell them tomorrow anyway so why don't we go ahead and give them the news?", Bryce says. He takes April's left hand which still has only her engagement ring on it. Bryce's ring finger is bare, but that doesn't mean anything.

"All right. Bryce and I got married last night at his parents' house. It was a very small ceremony with us, Alex, Bryce's parents, Uncle Jason, and Gail along with Riley. We got the license last week and kept debating when and where we should do it. We almost got married at the courthouse, but Bryce's mother said we could get married in the gazebo at their house. We might seem like bad people for not telling you, but we didn't want a big fuss. We wanted simplicity."

"You're not bad people. I believe every couple should do what feels right for them. How can we be mad at you when we're so happy for you?", I tell them, brushing tears from my eyes.

"All I have to say is congratulations.", Christian says. "I wish for the two of you to have a long and happy marriage."

"With Bryce by my side, I know that's going to happen."

"And with April by my side, anything is possible."


	28. Chapter 28

**A POV**

"Someone sure loves his yogurt." I bring the spoon towards Jamison's mouth while grins.

"More.", he says just before taking the spoon. His smile deepens as he sees Christian approaching the kitchen. Christian remains silent but presses a kiss on Jamison's forehead and then one on mine.

"Well good morning to you too.", I mumble. His eyes go from the cup he's grabbed and on to me. Not even a smile. "Is your silence due to the lack of sleep you got last night?" Although the submitting of names for the remodel is over, Christian has been spending the last few days going through the list of suitable candidates.

"I'm not sure what you mean by lack of sleep. I got a solid three hours last night.", he scoffs, sitting down across from me.

"Mr. Grey, what would you like for breakfast?", Nancy asks.

"I'm going to stick with just coffee." He notices the glare on my face. "I had a bagel when I got up, just before I went into my study."

"I do believe someone made the comment that he wasn't going to let himself get stressed and yet here he is going to bed long after me and getting up way before me. I wish you would ease up.", I say as I take a bite of my toast and then go back to feeding Jamison. Christian's eyes soften at the sight.

"I'm sorry for not being around. I wanted to choose a name so I could perhaps lessen some of the stress. Fortunately, I did such a thing last night. I've picked who I feel is going to be the best person for the job." He stops talking and takes an excruciatingly long drink of his coffee. "Where was I?", he teases.

"You were about to tell me who you chose."

"Grant Sullivan. He's only been in the contracting business a few years but has successfully constructed several large buildings in and around Seattle. His most recent work is Seattle Financial Bank."

"I've passed by there a few times. I like how it's built.", I say. "Have you contacted him yet?"

"I'm going to speak with Ros first, and then I'm going to call him to schedule a meeting. I'm also going to have Andrea send out emails to the others to let them know I appreciate them applying to the job but we're going with someone else."

"I'm sure all but Roger Hardin will understand."

"I'm at the point where I don't a darn what Roger Hardin thinks or understands. This is my remodel, and it's going to be done by my rules, not his."

* * *

"I still can't believe April and Bryce got married.", Spencer sighs as I watch her get her hair cut at Suzanne's Salon which is owned by Spencer's mother's best friend. "How did you feel when you found out?"

"I told them I was happy for them, and that's the truth." I go back to the magazine in my lap but feel Spencer's eyes still on me.

"I'm happy for them too, but part of me feels like they were a little insensitive especially to you and Christian who have been there for them. It was the two of you who helped them meet."

"I believe they would have met even if Christian and I weren't involved in the equation."

"Fate.", Spencer mutters. "Suzanne, do you believe in fate?" I close the magazine and look up to find Suzanne snipping the left side of Spencer's hair.

"I do. My husband and I are proof of it."

"How so?"

"We used to be friends with the same people although he and I weren't exactly friends. We were cordial at parties and dinners, but those were the only times we'd see each other. However, I still found myself attracted to him during those times. The problem was one of us seemed to always be involved with someone else. About ten years ago, your mother told me she wanted me to go out with a friend of hers. I was reluctant since it was during the same time I was getting ready to open this place. I felt like all my attention should be concentrated on my work. I told her thanks but no thanks. Soon, I was only a week away from my grand opening and feeling good about myself. It was Christmas Eve actually when I decided to go for some coffee at the cafe around the corner. I sat and enjoyed my coffee before returning her. When it came time to leave, I grabbed my purse, but something told me to look inside. That's when I realized my wallet was gone. I was in full panic mode until I remembered the cafe. Just as I was about to pick up the phone to call them, there was a knock on the front door of the salon. It was Todd. He had found my wallet underneath the table he sat at. We ended up talking for hours. It turns out he was the friend who your mother wanted to fix me up with. The rest is history. Spencer, I know you've got to believe in fate as well."

"I used to think it was a silly thing, but I've come to believe in it." She twiddles her thumbs and tilts her head towards me. "And yes I'm speaking of my relationship with Elliot. He asked if I'd consider us moving in together again. Truthfully, I've been wondering if he was going to ever bring up the subject."

"I may have already known he was considering it. He came by the house this past weekend and talked to Christian about it, but we didn't hear anything else."

"He said he's been trying to think of how to bring up the topic until last night he finally just blurted out he wants us to move in together. He wants us to find a place and make it our own."

"Did you say yes?", I ask while Suzanne removes the cape covering Spencer.

"I said yes. Elliot and I have weathered some tough times and are more than ready to take the next level in our relationship."

* * *

**C POV**

"Christian, Roger Hardin is on line two for you.", April tells me as I return from lunch. By now, he's probably read the email informing him that we're not going to be hiring him. I pull on my tie, dreading the call in which he'll more than likely try his best to get me to change his mind. After closing my office door, I take my seat at my desk and brace myself.

"Mr. Hardin, hello."

"Good afternoon Mr. Grey. I'm calling about the email I received about you choosing another contractor for the remodel."

"Yes. I appreciate you taking the time to submit your name, but I've decided to go with another candidate.", I reply.

"May I ask who you chose?", he asks.

"At this time, I'm not prepared to officially announce the name, but I will say that I'm pleased with my decision. The contractor who I'm going with has a wonderful record, and I'm confident he's right for the job." The sound of him taking a deep breath flows through the phone.

"I was hoping you'd go with me since I'm the best there is."

"That's your opionion which you're entitled to. The fact is, while you may be a talented guy, your bribery attempts were far from pleasing. I need someone who's willing to prove himself with his work not by offering bribes."

"I've already told you not to view my offers as bribes but as gifts.", he laughs.

"Well your _gifts_ weren't going to secure you the remodeling position.", I tell him.

"I could sit here and argue with you, but I've got better things to do such as meeting with more prominent businessmen who are in need of a contractor." I'd be pissed, but I know he's only trying to rile me up.

"Well, good luck with that and all of your future endeavors. Goodbye." I place the phone down, only to have my cell phone ring with a call from Ana. "Hello." All I hear on the other side is babbling. "Ana, are you ok?"

"Hi Dada.", Jamison giggles.

"Jamison, do you have your mommy's phone?" I hear the a loud thump and then footsteps. "Jamison? Are you there?"

"No, but I am.", Ana says. "He got hold of my phone and hit the speed dial for you. I'm sorry."

"Baby, there's no need to apologize. Jamison's call couldn't have come at a better time. I had just got off the phone with Roger Hardin."

"I'm guessing that didn't go well."

"Not for him. I think he actually thought he'd guilt me into changing my mind, but I wasn't going to fall for it. I called Grant Sullivan earlier and gave him the news. He was excited and is going to come by tomorrow so we can sign the contract. How did your time with Spencer go?"

"It went well. She's moving in with Elliot once they find a place. She got me to admit that I'm a little hurt about April and Bryce, but I'll get over it." When April and Bryce told us they had gotten married, Ana and I were both happy for them, but I saw a glint of hurt in Ana's eyes. April had mentioned eloping to Ana, but I'm certain Ana believed April's idea of eloping would include more people such as us. "Anyway, when I got home, I started feeling better thanks to a certain little boy. We're going to go outside in a few minutes.

"He definitely has a way of making things better."

* * *

"Hey Christian." Charles greets me at the door when Taylor and I arrive at the house. He had planned on moving this past weekend, but the rain deterred him from moving most of his things. However, he's been staying at Carol's and is planning to once again try the moving this week.

"Hi." I close the door and see a small box on the floor. "Moving some more things?"

"A few boxes. I also wanted to drop by to see you all." He picks up the box and follows me into the living room. "Ana said she was going to go upstairs to give Jamison a bath. She took him outside but didn't see a mud puddle until Jamison had stepped in it."

"The boy loves getting into mud.", I chuckle while sitting down on the sofa. "I know you said you were going to keep the kitchen appliances in the apartment, but I was thinking if you'd like to take the bed from your room here, it would be ok. Ana and I aren't going to be needing it."

"That would be great. I've got to admit, that mattress is one of the most comfortable ones I've ever slept on." He motions to the small box. "I have something that I'm not sure you want or not." He reaches into the box and pulls out an envelope which he hands to me. "I found this in my things." Opening the envelope, I find a photo of a young, brunette woman. "It's Ella. It was one that a friend took of her. I saw it one day and told her how I loved it, but she insisted that it was a horrible photo." Ella, my birth mother, is sitting on a window ledge with her head turned away from the camera. "She didn't know her friend took the photo. I especially like how you see the sun is shining on her. You've got her cheekbones." I touch my cheekbone, feeling the connection between Ella and myself. "You don't have to take the photo if you don't want it."

"I want it. Thank you."


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"April, this dinner was wonderful. Thank you.", I say as I wipe the corner of my mouth with my linen napkin. Yesterday at work, April invited Ana and I to have dinner with her and Bryce tonight. Jamison's staying at Ray and Mary's during our night out.

"It was very delicious.", Ana smiles.

"Thanks. This was this first time I've ever cooked a pork loin the slow cooker, but I'm pleased it turned out so well."

"You certainly out did yourself.", Byrce compliments his bride. "I think this entire night has been incredible." He's right. The four of us have had a night filled with delicious food and great conversations. One topic that hasn't been brought up though is the elopement. Part of me wants to go ahead and lay out our feelings on the table, yet another part of me doesn't want to ruin a good night. Turning my head, I see Ana taking a few more bites of her food and then smiling at me. It's that smile that I want to see twenty-four seven, but it was her feelings that were hurt the most with us not being included in the elopement. Fuck. I need to get this out in the open.

"It has been a nice evening, but I'd like to discuss something with you guys.", I say. Both Bryce and April narrow their eyes at me.

"I think I know what you want to talk about.", April sighs. "It's a subject that I sensed was going to be brought up after we announced we had eloped. The two of you are upset that you weren't invited to the wedding." She hit the hammer on the head. "Even though Ana said she was ok with it, I could see in her eyes that she wasn't. I should've pushed for us to discuss it the night we told you, but I got scared."

"You're right.", Ana says very low. She meets April's eyes. Ana's been silent in what I assume is to avoid confrontation, but she doesn't look or sound like she's going to hold back any longer. "I told you and Bryce but most of all myself that I wasn't upset, but I was. I am. The two of you have been a part of our lives for a while , and we've shared countless life events together. I guess I thought your wedding would be one of those. Hearing you tell us that you had gotten married without us felt like a knife being shoved in our backs. I truly believe you didn't set out to hurt us, but you did." Bryce takes a quick drink of his wine and clears his throat.

"You're correct about us not meaning to hurt you. That was the last thing we'd ever want, and yet we did. April and I got the marriage license and thought about just doing the courthouse thing. I realize that would have hurt as well. Anyway, my mom at the last minute offered the gazebo at her house, and we said yes. For so long, we didn't know how and where we wanted to get married, and then we just jumped without actually considering the fall out. In that period of time, all I genuinely wanted was to marry the woman sitting beside me. I just wanted to make her my wife. After the ceremony, what we had done started seeping in."

"You should have been at the wedding. You are two of the most important people in our lives, and we were selfish and uncaring to not invite you.", April adds.

"Like Ana, I know you didn't mean to upset us. One thing I've learned about love is that it'll make you do crazy and sometimes impulsive things. Our feelings were hurt, but we still love you."

"We love you too.", Bryce says.

"I'm glad we got everything out.", Ana smiles. "I feel much better now."

"We promise to never disregard our friendships ever again."

* * *

"Although you said you were feeling better, are you?", I ask Ana while I'm changing Jamison into his pair of Winnie the Pooh pajamas. He's recently discovered the lovable bear and loves sleeping in the pajamas.

"I really do. I wish I had never felt that way in the first place, but it happened. What I'd like more than anything is to move on. I know you're wanting to help Charles move his bed tomorrow, but I kind of want to do something fun afterwards." A mischievous smirk crosses her face.

"Please tell me you're going to say something that's not going to scar our son." I nod down at Jamison who's too busy staring at the Poohs on his shirt.

"I want us to decide on how we're going to decorate Delaney's nursery. You told Ros that you have no issues when it comes to decorating so let's prove it. Let's decide on a theme and perhaps even buy some furniture for the room."

"I've got to admit planning the nursery will be a piece of cake compared to the nightmare of the work remodel." With Grant's Sullivan's contract signed and filed, the next step to the remodel is to have him draw up his plans for how he envisions the building should be. I've already told him some things I'd like and wouldn't like, and he's agreed to take that ideas into account. "Jamison, do you want to help Mommy and Daddy choose your sister's nursery?"

"Pooh.", he answers, pointing to the cartoon character.

"How about we take you with us and pick out some Winnie the Pooh things for you?" I cuddle him in my arms and kiss his his cheeks.

* * *

**A POV**

"Charles told me about the photo of Ella that he gave to Christian.", Carol says as she and I sit down on the sofa of Charles's new apartment. Christian and Charles along with Jamison have gone to the grocery store to stock up Charles's new kitchen, but Carol and I decided to stay back. "It was a lovely thing to do."

"Christian still had tears in his eyes when he showed me the photo. He's placed it one of our photo albums."

"When Charles talks about her, I hear and see the love he still has for her. Does it bother me? Not one bit. I understand and respect the special place Ella had in his life and in his heart. She left an imprint on him both emotionally and also in the form of Christian. Ana, Charles constantly talks about how grateful he is to have connected with Christian."

"Christian has enjoyed it as well. In my opionion, both of them have grown and learned a lot about not only each other but also themselves.", I say while hearing the apartment door open. Christian walks in first with an armful of bags and is followed by Charles who is carrying Jamison and a smaller bag. "Hey." I stand and take Jamison from Charles who goes to the kitchen with Christian so they can put their bags down. Carol gets up from her seat and goes with me into the kitchen. We stand and watch Christian and Charles unpack the bags on the counter. "Was it a productive trip to the store?"

"Considering it was my first visit to that market, I'd call it a moderate success. I got the basics, milk, bread, eggs. I also got some vegetables and some fruit along with a certain person's favorite cereal." Charles brings out and holds up a box of Corn Flakes.

"These are indeed my favorite.", Carol giggles. "Thank you." Christian stretches his neck so he can look at me.

"Ana and I have had a nice time today, but we should get going. We're going to go to look at baby things in hopes of deciding a theme for Delaney's nursery.", Christian says.

"You could go with a princess theme. Of course, that's only one many themes to choose from."

"I like the idea of a princess theme.", I reply.

* * *

"We can get one of these wooden D's, paint it pink, and then place it on the wall by the crib.", Christian says during our visit to The Land of Nod, a baby decor and furniture store here in Seattle. After Jamison practically threw a fit to walk, I let him on to his feet and have my hand tightly clasped with his.

"Are we wanting to paint the room pink?", I ask.

"How about a soft pink?" We continue making our way through the store until a young blonde haired saleswoman approaches us.

"Can I help you find something in particular?", she aks, directing most of her words and attention to Christian.

"No thanks. My wife and I were just browsing your baby decor." She finally snaps her head to me and gives a fake smile.

"Oh. Well, you've certainly come to the right place. We offer a large assortment of baby things." She sees Jamison and bends down to him. "Hi there. Aren't you a cutie?" Jamison observes her for a second and then begins wailing loudly. "Aww. It's ok."

"Come here baby boy." I pick him up and rub circles on his back.

"I guess it's because I'm a stranger." Or maybe he sees that you're flirting with his dad right in front of his mom. "He looks a lot like his dad."

"I believe he takes after his mother a lot.", Christian counters. "They're my heart and soul. We really would like to just look around on our own, but we'll let you know if we need help."

"Um...ok. I'll be around if you need me." Christian places his arm around me and leads us away.

"I need to start wearing a sign reading, "Hello! Wife Right Here!" It's almost as if I was invisible."

"Baby, you're in no way invisible. I see you in front of me." He moves his hand to his chest. "And feel you in here."


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"You're insatiable.", Christian chuckles from his side of the bed. He shifts closer to me and eases his hand to...the bowl of popcorn in my Jamison fell asleep, Christian suggested that we grab some snacks and watch a movie in our bedroom. Even though I'm watching him, he acts as if he's on a secret mission to not get caught by moving his hand and stopping and then moving his hand again. It's more amusing than the movie we've got on the tv.

"You're the one encouraging me with all this food. I don't recall twisting your arm when you went back downstairs for the Chex Mix."

"You're right. Shall we get back to the movie?" He opens his mouth and tosses a piece of popcorn, only to miss his mouth. "I meant for that to happen."

"Sure.", I giggle as his hand laces with mine. "This is nice, us with our snacks and a movie in the comfort of our own bedroom. It beats going to a theater where we'd have to deal with people sitting in front of us and blocking our view. Let's not forget about the noisy ones who like to kick the back of chairs."

"I didn't know someone's kicked the back of your seat during a movie. Why didn't you tell me?", he asks.

"It hasn't happened in a while, and I'm not sure if it was intentional all the times. There may be a few instances where the person had trouble getting comfortable in their chair. I can relate. The other times were teenagers who were being teenagers. No harm was done." Christian doesn't look convinced as he clenches his jaw. "If it'll make you feel any better, I did turn around during one of the times. I looked at the teen girl and gave her the harshest glare I could conjure. Here it is." I narrow my eyes and try to replicate the glare, but Christian only laughs. "You shouldn't be laughing. You should be scared."

"Of your adorableness? I was't there to witness the glare, and while I'm sure it scared her, I can't help but find you cute." His lips start going towards mine, but I hold my hand up to stop him. "Cleary I said the wrong thing."

"I wasn't being cute or adorable.", I pout. "I can be tough and intimidating."

"I didn't say you couldn't. I simply said you weren't coming across as that with me. Ana, I can't help if I find you adorable even when you're doing the smallest things." He once again tries to kiss me, but I don't stop him this time. "How about we turn off the movie and fool around?"

"Not that I don't want to, but I'd really like to finish this popcorn and maybe have some of those Hershey Kisses you brought up with you."

"How did you know I had them?", he asks.

"Because I told you when you got home this evening that I've been craving them, and the so called emergency trip you had to make to the office after dinner didn't add up. You said you couldn't remember if you turned off the lights in your office."

"That might have been true. I didn't want energy to be wasted by my foolish mistake."

"The cleaners come into your office after you leave so they turn the lights on and then back off when they're finished. I'll give you an A for effort in trying to take away my suspicion." Christian groans and reaches into the top drawer of his bedside table. My eyes light up like a Christmas tree once I see the candy. "You're so good to me."

"I'll give you a Kiss for a kiss. Does that sound like a good exchange?" I move in and kiss him, feeling our tongues meet while my hand swiftly goes for the bag of candy in his hand. He's too caught up in the kiss that he doesn't realize what's going on until the candy is in my hand, and I'm smiling against his lips. "You sneaky little thing."

* * *

"What time is Sophie arriving today?", I ask Gail. She and I along with Jamison, Riley, Sawyer, and Bryce are at the diner where we're having lunch. Sophie wasn't scheduled to arrive until next week, but her mom called Taylor the other night and said she was going to be here a week earlier.

"Not until early evening. Jason and Christian are picking her up from the airport on their way home from the office. I've come to think of her as my own daughter, and I'm looking forward to her spending time with us even it's not as long as we'd like."

"I recall you saying it was going to be for a week, but any word on whether her mom is going to let her extend her stay?" I feed Jamison one of the fries that haven't been smashed by his tiny hands.

"Tank you.", he grins.

"You're welcome.", I tell him. Gail smiles and turns to her daughter who's fallen asleep in her stroller.

"Jason asked his ex Francesca if Sophie can stay at least a few extra days, but she's yet to give him a definitive answer. It would be much easier if they didn't live as far away as Maine.", Gail sighs as Mary emerges from the kitchen.

"Can I get you guys anything else?", Mary asks. She cocks her head at Bryce and Sawyer who have already finished their double cheeseburgers and fries. "Some dessert?"

"I can't eat another bite.", Bryce answers before patting his stomach. "I might even need some help getting up from this table. Sawyer, you couldn't possibly eat dessert, could you?"

"I sure could.", Sawyer laughs. "I'm going to have a piece of the diner's famous peach pie."

"Ana, Gail, how about you two?", Mary asks.

"No.", Gail and I both answer.

"I'm full. Of course, I might be hungry by the time I get home, but for now, I'm stuffed."

"I'll go and get Sawyer's pie. Be right back."

"Sawyer, you had a salad, double cheeseburger, and fries, and you're getting pie. How do you keep in such good shape?", Bryce asks Sawyer.

"You're forgetting the fried pickles I had as an appetizer.", Sawyer smirks. "Let's just say Paula has been keeping me in better shape lately. My sweet nurse is anything but sweet at home when she turns into my naughty nurse."

"Uh, children around.", I mutter while covering Jamison's ears.

* * *

**C POV**

"As you can see Mr. Grey, the lobby will be transformed into a place that's inviting to visitors. The fountain will be the focal point of the area.", Grant Sullivan says as I look over a sketch of the downstairs lobby. Although it's barely been a week since he signed the contract, he's already on the right pave with the remodel.

"I really like the fountain and believe it'll add a sense of calm to the room. Grant, if this is any indication of how the rest of the plans are going to look, I believe we're in for an amazing remodel."

"Thank you sir. I've been working as hard as possible and hope you are pleased with my work."

"So far so good. This remodel is a huge step for the company thus I need the best."

Understood. This project is the only one I'm working on and will continue to be the only one until it's finished. I want all of my time and energy on it. Is there anything else you'd like to discuss?"

"Not at the moment, but I'll call you if and when I need to.", I say just before we stand and shake hands. "Keep up the good work."

"I will." As he's leaving the office, Ros walks in and takes the seat Grant just vacated.

"This is a sketch of the lobby." She takes the paper and grins. "He did a good job."

"He certainly did. This is fantastic work. I was talking with him earlier as he was waiting for you to get back from your meeting with accounting, and from what I can tell, Grant Sullivan is a nice guy. He's very humble and polite. He comes across as a guy who encourages and takes advice without getting pissed off unlike a certain contractor."

"You don't think Roger Hardin would have been receptive of advice or suggestions?"

"The guy would have been the one trying to call the shots despite the fact that this is your company. Roger Hardin would have caused more harm than good."

"It's a good thing he didn't get the job.", I say. "I'm going to be leaving soon. Taylor and I are picking Sophie up from the airport."

"I've noticed how he seems to be in an extra good mood today."

* * *

"Sophie, I can't get over much you've grown.", Ana says while hugging Sophie. "How old are you now?" Since Sophie had a long flight yesterday, Ana held off on seeing her until today.

"Ten.", Sophie answers. "But my dad said I'm ten going on twenty."

"That's because you're growing too fast. Have you seen how tall she's getting? I hardly recognize her." Sophie settles on to the sofa with her dad who has Riley in his arms. "Do you want to hold your sister?"

"Yeah." Taylor eases Riley into Sophie's arms and sits back with content on his face.

"Riley loves her sister.", Gail smiles while watching from her chair. She glances at Jamison who's in my lap. "You're going to love your sister too."

"Me get baby.", Jamison says.

"Yes, you're getting a baby sister."

"It's going to be nice having so many kids around.", Taylor says, clearing his throat. "In related news, we have an announcement."

"You're having another baby?", Ana asks giddily.

"Well, we're going to have another child in our home but not a baby. Sophie's going to be moving in with us."

"That's wonderful, but what about Maine?"

"My mom's job is transferring her to London. She was planning on me going with her, but I told her no. I never get to see my dad, and London would have made it even worse. After I told my dad last night, he called my mom.", Sophie says.

"Francesca and I had a long conversation about Sophie and what's best for her, and we finally came to the conclusion that Sophie moving here is the answer. She's going to be staying here for a week, and then I'm going to accompany her back to Maine so she can get her things together and say goodbye to her mom and friends. It's going to be an adjustment for everyone, but it's going to work out for the best."

"It always does.", I reply.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"I suppose you've been enjoying Sophie's visit." I pull back a chair and join Taylor at the kitchen table where he's drinking a cup of coffee and looking over the newspaper. He lays the newspaper down and smiles.

"I've been enjoying every minute of it. We went to the movies last night, and tonight I'm taking her skating. Not only are we doing fun things, we're also catching up with what's been going on in our lives. She used to only like pepperoni pizza, but she now likes pizza with everything on it. I used to have the hardest time getting her to play Monopoly with me, yet she now loves it. In fact, we played last night, and she beat me. I don't want to come across as arrogant, but I happen to be pretty good at Monopoly."

"Ah, but I bet you're not as good as me.", I smirk as Ana walks into the kitchen. "You're up early."

"I couldn't sleep. Good morning Taylor.", Ana smiles.

"Morning." Ana pours a glass of milk and looks around the kitchen.

"Is Nancy here yet?"

"She got here and cooked our breakfast, but she excused herself about ten minutes ago when her phone started ringing.", I reply, wondering if Nancy's ok. Before I voice my concerns out loud, she returns to the kitchen with teary eyes. "Nancy, are you all right?"

"I'm sorry for leaving like that. My dad called and told me that my mom had a heart attack. She's in the ICU at Seattle West Hospital.", Nancy sniffles. Placing her glass down, Ana hands her a tissue. "Thank you. I'm sorry for being so emotional."

"It's understandable. Your mom means a lot to you.", Ana says. "You should go to the hospital."

"But I..."

"Don't say you have to stay and do things around here. We can handle it."

"Ana's right.", I add. "Why don't you get your things, and Taylor and I will take you to the hospital on our way to work?"

"I have my car here, but I'm in no shape to drive. I'd appreciate a ride to the hospital. Thank you." She heads out of the kitchen to gather her things as Gail opens the side door and walks in with Riley and Sophie.

"Hello everyone.", Gail smiles until she sees the somberness in the room. "Is everything ok?"

"Nancy's mom had a heart attack and is in the ICU. We're going to take her to the hospital on our way to work.", Taylor answers his wife. He stands and kisses Gail's cheek and repeats the step with both of his daughters. "Good morning kiddos."

"Good morning Dad.", Sophie says. "Gail's taking Riley and me shoppig today." The excitement is evident in her face. "Don't worry though. I'm not getting anything that's going to make me look older than I am. I know how you worry."

"Worrying is part of being a parent. You'll find out that one day." He winces and shakes his head. "I just hope that day is a hundred years from now." Nancy returns to the kitchen with her purse and coat.

"Nancy, I'm sorry about your dad.", Gail says.

"Thanks."

I stand and kiss Ana's soft lips and then continue holding her for a few more minutes.

"If you don't feel like going with the girls today, you should cancel.", I tell Ana. Ana, Spencer, and my mom are going with Mia to look at wedding dresses. "I'm sure it's going to be an all day thing."

"Christian, other than the indigestion and constant kicking by our daughter, I feel wonderful. I want to be there for Mia."

"I suppose you know what you're doing, but if you're not home by the time I get home from work, I'm sending a search party."

"Noted.", she giggles.

* * *

"Christian, I'm so glad we're having lunch.", Ben says during our lunch at Balleti's Resturant. "I realized that you and I basically only see each other when Mia's around. We're going to be family in a few months, and I'd like to change that."

"I'd like for that to happen as well. How's the hospital?", I ask as I cut into my baked chicken.

"Oddly slow. My patient rate has been down the last few weeks which I'm not complaining about. I'm glad people are getting hurt and sick less. My biggest case this week has been a man whose friends bet that he couldn't jump off his roof without getting hurt. He had a silly notion he was some sort of superhero with the ability to magically land on his feet. The fact that he had been drinking didn't help."

"I'm guessing his jump didn't end the way he thought."

"Not even close. His left arm was broken in two places. He came to the conclusion that he and his friends were all idiots."

"I don't know the guy or his friends, but they were clearly stupid." I glance down at my phone to see if I have any messages. "I wonder how the wedding dress shopping is going."

"I hope it's going great. Mia was excited. She told me not to even ask for clues about her dress. She's determined to not let me see it until she walks down the aisle. I can't wait to marry your sister. It's going to be the best day of my life."

"I can't wait to witness it."

* * *

**A POV**

"On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate this dress?", Mia asks. She steps out of the changing room of Calla Bridal. She's dressed in a form fitting off white gown with a long train. The only sound is that of Jamison who's giggling from his spot in Grace's lap. "Is it really that bad?"

"Sweetheart, it's beautiful.", Grace murmurs.

"Stunning.", I say.

"I'm with them.", Spencer smiles. Mia twirls and runs her hands over the dress, but she doesn't seem sure of the dress.

"What matters is what you think. It's your dress and more importantly, your day. How do you rate the dress?"

"I like it. It's pretty, but the train isn't doing it for me." She turns to the sales clerk who's just returned from the back room. "I'm going to try on another one if that's ok."

"Try on as many as you'd like."

"I've been eyeing that one on the display up front by the door. It's sleek and elegant."

"I'll go and get it for you. Be right back."

"You all will let me know if I'm taking too long, right?", Mia asks us.

"Mia, take as long as you want.", Grace assures her as the clerk arrives back with a white sleeveless gown. Beading accenuates the waist while simple. "That's lovely."

"I saw it when we first arrived and have been considering trying it on." She takes the dress and walks back to the dressing room. "I'll be right back."

"While we're waiting, Spencer, have you and Elliot found a place yet?", I ask, taking Jamison from Grace.

"We've looked around but haven't found the right place yet. Looking at houses is almost like looking at wedding gowns. You want to make sure you choose the right one."

"And when you find that right one, you'll know.", Grace smiles. "I've got to admit that I'm surprised Elliot hasn't gone ahead and moved in with you while you search. I have no problem with him staying at the house. I'm just shocked."

"I told him that he could go ahead and move in with me, but he wants to wait until we find a place. I can kind of see where he's coming from. He won't have to worry about packing and unpacking and then packing again." A few moments later, Mia steps out in the gown and instantly breaks into tears upon seeing her reflection in the mirror. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing.", Mia sobs.

"You wouldn't be crying over nothing.", I say. Mia starts to calm down and clears away her tears.

"I got emotional because I've found my dress, the dress. This is the dress I want to wear when I marry Ben. It's wedding dress!" Grace, Spencer, and I get to our feet and embrace Mia into a large group hug.

* * *

"Call us if you need anything. Bye." Christian ends his call with Nancy and sits back down on the sofa with me. "Nancy's mom is still not out of the woods yet. I told her to take as much time as she needs." I see that his eyes aren't moving off me. "I'm not staring to creep you out. I'm only observing how you don't appear to be as tired as I thought you'd be."

"You underestimate me. I'm capable of going shopping without being completely exhausted at the end of the day. I actually think your mom was more tired than me."

"Mia found her dress?"

"She found her dress and is going to be radiant on the big day."

"Ben's looking forward to seeing her walk down the aisle. He and I had a nice lunch. We talked about different things but mainly the wedding. When I first met Ben, I was apprehensive that he wouldn't be good enough for Mia, but now, I can't think of a better person for her."

"They are good together."

"Just like two other people I know.", Christian grin.

"Whoever could that be?", I giggle.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"Ana, are you sure you don't want me to stay? I can tell Jason to go without me.", Gail says. She and I are sitting in the backyard while Christian, Taylor, and Sophie play a game of basketball.

"Nonsense. We can manage on our own for a few days." Tomorrow evening, the Taylors are going to Maine so Sophie can gather her things for her permanent move to Seattle. With Nancy's father still hospitalized, Gail's hesitant about leaving Christian and I to fend for ourselves.

"If anything goes wrong, call, and I'll be on the first flight back here."

"We're going to be fine. Even though your trip is for Sophie's move, you should also use the time away to relax. I've never been to Maine, but it seems like a wonderful place."

"It really is, especially during the fall when the leaves change. It's also lovely during the summer." She grins over at Jamison who's watching the game from my lap. "Do you see your dad playing basketball?"

"Ball.", Jamison says. He whimpers and holds his hands out in Christian's direction. "Dada." Christian's about to throw the ball into the goal but tosses it to Sophie and then strides over to us.

"You want your dad? Here I am. Come here.", Christian whispers while taking Jamison. "Taylor, you better be glad my son needed me because I was about to win."

"Keep telling yourself that.", Taylor laughs while picking Riley up from Gail's lap. "Sophie, show him how it's done." Sophie steps back a few inches from the goal and tosses the ball through the net. "That's my girl."

"How were you playing anyway?", I ask. "Two on one?"

"I was taking on both Taylor and Sophie.", Christian sighs as he sits down in the chair next to me. "They knew it would take two people to beat me."

"My dad and Mr. Grey did rock, paper, scissors to see who was going to be on the two person team. Whoever lost had to play on their own. Since my dad's paper covered Mr. Grey's rocl, he was on my team."

"Perhaps we should use that technique to settle things.", I smirk at Christian. He licks his lips and looks at me seductively until his phone starts ringing. Hearing the phone, I get up and take Jamison back so Christian can answer his call. Christian stands and walks over to the house. He glances over at me with what appears to be fear in his eyes.

"I'm sure it's about work.", Gail murmurs in her best attempt to calm my anxiety. Once Christian has finished the call, he stands frozen with his eyes on the ground.

"I get the sense it's not." I run my hands through Jamison's cooper hair and wait for Christian to rejoin us.

"Riley's got a dirty diaper so I'm going to change her and try to get her down for her nap.", Taylor says. "Sophie, do you want to help me?"

"Sure.", Sophie answers.

"I'll go too.", Gail tells them. She gets up and stops in front of my chair. "Positive thoughts." She follows Taylor and Sophie into their house, leaving me with a bundle of nerves that's only getting worse the longer Christian stays silent. I finally have enough and bring myself to my feet.

"Your phone might be nice, but shouldn't your attention be on your family?", I ask Christian.

"She escaped.", he mumbles after finally looking up.

"Who escaped?"

"Madeline Turner. Apparently, she managed to get out during her afternoon free time."

"How is that possible? There are guards watching her."

"She had help from a guard who gave Madeline a uniform exactly like the ones the guards wear. Thanks to the disguise and the guard's help, she was pretty much able to walk out the door. It was only after her free time was up that her absence was noticed."

"So the woman who blames me for ruining her life is out there.", I murmur.

"Ana, I know it's a terrifying thought, but it's going to be ok."

"You say that, yet the look on your face is saying something entirely different. Admit that you can't tell me it's going to be ok. All you're trying to do is make me feel better." My change in attitude is registering with Jamison who starts fussing. "I'm taking Jamison inside."

* * *

"We need to talk.", Christian says. I brush past him and go to the bathroom, closing the door behind me. "Ana, please." I'm about to turn the water on to drown out his voice when the door opens. "Thank you for not locking the door."

"I didn't have a chance. Do they have any idea where Madeline might be?"

"As of now, no. The police are scouring the city for her. They've also brought in Donna Baxter for questioning although she claims to not know where Madeline is."

"She's got to be lying. She and Madeline are buds.", I scoff.

"She told the police that she hasn't had any contact with Madeline in a while. She said she came to the realization that you were being held accountable for Caleb's death which you weren't responsible for."

"We're supposed to believe she suddenly had this epiphany?"

"She's being watched. Everything that can be done is being done to find Madeline."

"No. If that were true, she'd be back in prison already." Christian closes the gap between us, brushing the side of his hand down my face. "I'm scared.", I whisper. His hand moves from my face and down to my stomach.

"I know, but I'm going to make sure all of us are ok."

* * *

**C POV**

"Taylor, you don't have to postpone your trip on account of what's going on. I was already going to rearrange some of the staff.", I say, leaning back in my study chair.

"I'm aware of that, and even though the rest of the staff is capable of handling serious situations, I'd feel better if I were here."

"I appreciate you wanting to help, but the best way you can help is to go on with your plans. Please, go and have a nice trip away."

"And how do you intend to spend your time? You and I both know you're not going to be able to focus until Madeline Turner has been caught."

"You're right about that. I'm trying to keep my cool and not show Ana how worried I am, but it's not easy. I'm going to take her and Jamison away for the weekend. Even though Ana doesn't know yet, I don't think she'll have a problem with it."

* * *

"What do you mean you want me to pack a suitcase for me and one for Jamison?", Ana asks while in the middle of eating a sandwich.

"We're going away for the weekend. Think of it as a babymoon, time away before Delaney comes.", I shrug, leaning against the breakfast bar.

"Or I can think of it as your way of protecting us." I watch as her sandwich falls apart with it's contents dropping on to the plate. "What the hell do you have on that sandwich?"

"It's a standard peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a few more things added to it." My brow raises in anticipation of hearing the "few more things". "If you must know, I put some hot sauce, bell peppers, and bacon bits."

"Not my cup of tea, but if that's what and Delaney want, then go with it."

"Oh, I plan to.", she smirks before taking a large bite. "Let's say I do agree to go along with your weekend getaway idea, where are we going?"

"I've rented a cabin just outside of Mt. Rainier State Park. It's a three bedroom, two bathroom cabin. One of the bedrooms has two beds, and the sofa is a pull out so there's going to be plenty of room for us and the security staff."

"Sounds nice. I'll go." She eats the last of her sandwich and pushes her plate away. "Any word on Madeline?" I stiffen at having to tell Ana what my police contact told me earlier.

"Not only did the guard at the prison give Madeline a uniform to help her escape, but she also gave her a gun."

"She's armed.", Ana mutters as she gets out of her chair so fast that it falls back. "I think I'm going to be sick." I'm immediately behind her, rubbing her shoulders and trying to calm her down.

"Let's go and get our things together so we can go and have a nice weekend away from here."

"I'm not sure how nice it's going to be, but I'll go."

* * *

"Was April ok with you going away with us?", I ask Bryce after we walk around the outside of the cabin. Both Ana and Jamison are exhausted from the ride here so they'r taking a nap.

"Sure. She understands how important this weekend away is."

"Mr. Grey!", Sawyer shouts from the open front door. I rush behind him and into the house, following him up the stairs where we stop at the master bedroom. "I was downstairs when I heard Ana screaming." Entering the bedroom, I see Ana on the bed. She's cradling Jamison and trying to catch her breath.

"Baby?" She looks up and starts crying. "Hey. Sawyer said he heard you screaming."

"I had a dream, a bad dream.", she sighs. "I woke up Jamison. I feel terrible for waking him up."

"He's ok.", I say while sitting on the bed. Sure enough, Jamison's calm and smiling. "Do you want to talk about the dream?"

"I was resting like I am now, and then a loud noise woke me up. I didn't see Jamison. I got up and searched and searched but couldn't find him. Then, I went downstairs where I saw Madeline holding him. She said she was taking him and never giving him back. I started screaming for you, and you didn't come. She laughed that she had taken care of you, and I would never see you again."

"It was nothing more than a dream. I promise that she's not going to touch us. How about we go outside for a while? The sun is going to be setting soon, and there's a slight breeze."

"All right."

"I definitely need a hot tub at my place.", Sawyer's telling Bryce when Ana and I go outside. He and Bryce are standing beside the hot tub which is covered up.

"You live in an apartment building. There's no way you can put a hot tub in there.", Bryce laughs.

"If life gives you lemons, you make lemonade."

"How do you plan on turning it around?", Ana giggles.

"By having my best friend Bryce install a hot tub at his house. I'd even let him use it."

"How kind of you.", Bryce scoffs. "I'd hate to break it to you, but you're not putting a hot tub at my house." Sawyer draws his lips into a pout and turns to me.

"Don't even.", I tell him.

"You've got a massive house and no hot tub. How is that?"

"We simply don't want one. How about we go and get those steaks that we bought at the grocery store on the way here? We can grill them and have dinner out here."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Nothing. We're going to take care of everything. All you need to do is sit down and rest. Jamison, you're in charge of making sure Mommy relaxes. Can you do that?"

"Uh-huh.", he answers as my phone rings.

"Bryce, will you go ahead and light the grill while I answer this call?" He nods, and I grab my phone to find it's my police contact. "Grey." Ana's settles in the swing on the deck, keeping her eyes on me. I listen as I'm told the latest on the search for Madeline. What I'm told is unexpected. Once the call is over, I sit down next to Ana in the swing. "I've got news about Madeline."

"Don't stall. Tell me."

"A grounds keeper at the cemetery where Caleb is buried was doing some work when he saw what appeared to someone lying on the ground. As he approached, he saw that it was woman who was dead. He called the police, and once they got there, they discovered the woman was Madeline Turner. Next to her was a gun and a letter in which she wrote how she was tired of living in a world without her son so she was going to join him in the after life."

"I can't believe she's dead."

"Me either, yet she was obviously too consumed by grief that she could no longer live."


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"It really is a beautiful place, huh?" I stand behind Ana and watch as she admires the early morning view from the bedroom's balcony. I can't see her face, but I know she's much more calm than she was when we arrived here yesterday. The reason for her change, the death of Madeline Turner.

"It's so serene. I've always found that dawn was sort of magical with the dew glistening on the grass and the sun on the verge of rising. No matter how bad the day before was, dawn brings hope that the new day will be better.", she says softly. Seeing her wrap her arms around herself, I reach for a blanket and place it over shoulders while I rub the sides of her arms. "I couldn't have imagined when we arrived here yesterday that Madeline Turner would be found...dead."

"I was confident that she would be found but not dead.", I murmur. "She was so troubled, but maybe now she can find some sort of peace. I know we will. All of the fear she caused is gone. We're free to continue on with our lives. In a few short months, we're going to be welcoming our daughter who's going to join our son in being the most loved kids ever." Together, we turn towards the bed where Jamison's sleeping. Instead of having him sleep in another room, we had him sleep in the room with us. "It looks like he's smiling."

"He must be having a nice dream. What time are we leaving?"

"Leaving where?"

"Here. I assumed since Madeline is dead that we'd return to Seattle."

"I'd like for us to stay here for the rest of the weekend. It's silly to only stay one night." Her hands go to her hips as she considers what she wants to do. "You know you want to stay and enjoy this amazing cabin."

"It is pretty nice.", she sighs with a grin. "Ok. Let's stay through the weekend."

* * *

"How about we go into town after breakfast?", I suggest during the breakfast which Sawyer and Bryce prepared. "We can do some shopping."

"I believe they have a small shop that sells nothing but candles.", Bryce says. "April loves candles even though I sometimes wish she didn't like them as much."

"Why?", Ana asks after taking a bite of her bacon and cheese omelet.

"I sometimes come home and immediately get hit with the smell of one of the candles. It wouldn't be so bad if the candle wasn't something like cinnamon bun or apple pie."

"It makes you want a cinnamon bun and apple pie? I know the feeling.", Sawyer laughs. "I woke up one morning and smelled pecan. I instantly thought Paula had made her famous pecan pancakes. I jumped out of bed and ran into the kitchen so fast that my feet slid, and I ran into the wall. I shook it off thanks to the thought of having those delicious fluffy pancakes. You would think I indulged in them. I didn't have a single one. Why you ask? Because what I smelled wasn't her famous pecan pancakes. It was a pecan scented candle." Ana starts laughing while feeding Jamison. "Funny, huh?"

"I'm sorry for laughing, but it is kind of funny.", she giggles.

"I'll excuse you since it's nice to see you laughing." Ana stops laughing and goes silent. "I didn't mean anything by it. I only meant you've had a lot going on. You haven't been yourself. Well, you've still been you but different.", Sawyer stammers. "I'm only making things worse."

"No, you're not. You're only stating the truth. I wasn't acting like my normal self. I was down in the dumps. I've found myself again, and I'm ready to have more laughs and good times."

"I'm so happy to hear that.", I whisper to Ana as I lean over from my chair and kiss her cheek. My phone starts ringing from the counter. "It might be more news about what happened." I step and kiss both Ana and Jamison on the way to get the phone. "It's Ray." Ana stares as I move into the living room and answer. "Ray, hey."

"Hi Christian. I know you all are at the cabin, but I wanted to check in to see how Ana's doing. I'm calling you because I'll get an honest answer from you." When I first decided on reserving the cabin, I called and told Ray who like me believed it was a good idea. He had been worrying since we found out about Madeline's escape. It was me who called him last night with the news that Madeline had found dead.

"She's still not a hundred percent, but she's getting there." I sit down on the edge of the sofa where I'm still able to get a glimpse of Ana. "She mentioned us coming back today."

"You're free to do whatever you want, but I wish you'd stay there a while longer. Getting away from the city for just a few days can make a huge difference."

"I'm completely in agreement with you, and luckily, Ana sees it that way as well. We're going to keep to the plan by staying."

"Excellent. I spoke on the phone earlier with Robert. He's handling Madeline's death the best way he can. Despite all that she did, the two of them had a son together and were once very much in love. He's been put in charge of her remains, and once he gets them, he's going to have her buried next to Caleb. I asked if he was planning a service of any sort, and he said no. Even if Madeline hadn't been the way she was, she still wouldn't want a big service. She'd want simple."

* * *

**A POV**

"Are you planning on telling me what you and my dad talked about during your phone conversation?", I ask Christian as Sawyer drives us into Ashford.

"It wasn't anything bad if that's what you're wondering. He merely wanted to know how you're doing."

"But you also discussed Madeline." He rolls his head on his neck and nods. "Well?"

"Ana, he said Robert's in charge of her burial, and he plans to bury her next to Caleb. That's all that was said. Now can you please just drop it so we can have a nice and relaxing weekend?", he snaps. From his spot in the front passenger seat, Bryce glances at Sawyer who parks in front of a row of shops. Once the vehicle has come to a complete stop, I unbuckles my seat belt and start getting Jamison out of his seat. I know Christian's eyes are on me, but I refuse to look at him. I get out with Jamison in my arms and close the door behind me, leaving Christian sulking alone in the backseat.

"I think I'd like to check out that candle shop.", I say as Christian finally gets out and starts walking with us towards Cora's Candles.

"Good afternoon. Welcome to Cora's.", a woman in her late fifties says. "Can I help you find anything in particular?"

"We're just looking. You have a lovely place here." The shop is small but the warm colors make it feel very inviting and cozy.

"Thank you. I'm Cora Evans, the owner of this lovely place. We have an assortment of candles and as well as soaps. All items were made by either me."

"Impressive.", Christian says. His back is to me as he admires the rows of merchandise.

"Thanks. This place actually almost didn't come happen. I've always had a fondness for crafting things with candle making being my favorite. I was working as a financial consultant in Portland and was constantly stressed. My husband who saw the toll it was taking on me suggested that I take a step back and reevaluate things. He told me that I should do what made me happy. I told him it was candle making. Instead of laughing at me, he said I should go for it. I opened a small shop in Portland which was successful. Ashford has long been one of our favorites places so I went out on the limb even further and opened this shop."

"Sounds like following your heart was the best decision you could ever make.", I tell her. "Do you live here now full time?"

"Yes. We still have our home in Portland, but we live primarily here. I'm sorry about telling my life story. I just enjoy talking about what what I love. I'll let you get back to looking around. If you need any help or have any questions, I'll be around." She smiles and walks away as we start browsing.

"A taco scented candle?", Bryce gasps. "This is a dream come true."

"I'm sorry.", Christian sighs. "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"You think?", I mutter. I take a step back so Jamison won't pull any of the candles from the shelves. "I don't want to argue any longer than we have to. How about we table this until we get back to the cabin?"

"Sweep it under the rug?"

"I didn't say that. I only want to forget about it briefly so we can enjoy ourselves. When we get back, we can talk more."

"I guess that'll be ok."

* * *

"I'm going to call April and see how she and the baby are doing.", Bryce says after we return to the cabin. He heads outside to the patio while Sawyer lingers by the front door.

"I'm going to do the same. Paula should be off work by now, and I'm going to see how her day has been.", Sawyer tells us on his way out the front door.

"Jamison, how about we go and get you changed and ready for a nap?", I ask.

"No.", he answers.

"Yes. You've had a long day and need a nap." With Christian behind me, I carry Jamison up the stairs and into our bedroom, placing him on the bed. "Christian, will you get me one of Jamison's change of clothes?"

"I can do that.", he replies as he opens the suitcase and pulls out a pair of blue shorts and a white tee. "You want me to do that?"

"I've got it." He sits down on the side of the bed and watches as I change Jamison. "I kept pestering you about my dad's phone call. I shouldn't have kept pushing you to tell me. If I had stopped, you wouldn't have felt the need to get agitated."

"No matter the reason, I still had no right to raise my voice with you. I see now I was releasing my feelings over what happened. I kept telling you it was going to be ok even when I was terrified of something happening. I didn't want to let you in out of fear of making you feel worse. During our ride into town, all those locked away fears spilled out. The gravity of all the events came rushing."

"I wish you would've told me.", I say.

"I felt like I was protecting you which is my job." I settle down on the bed next to him as he starts crying.

"I understand you not wanting to scare me, but I also need to know what your feeling. Christian, your feelings are just as important as mine. We're a team, and teams work together by communicating."

"I realized that after I acted the way I did. From now on, I'll share my feelings."

"And I'll do the same."


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"Where are you going?", Christian asks. I'm in too much of a hurry to get to the bathroom to answer his question. After I close the door and start doing my business, I hear him tapping on the door. "Ana, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Then why were you hurrying to the bathroom like there was a fire?" I'm about to wash my hands when he opens the door. "Are you feeling ok?"

"I'm feeling fine. Our daughter has been sitting on my bladder which means I have to go to the bathroom a lot. Sometimes, it's a race getting to the bathroom on time."

"I'm sorry. With you getting further along, I worry more.", he says. "How about I make it up to you by giving you a foot massage?" I walk back into the bedroom and sit down on the bed, but I make no effort to prop my feet up.

"A foot massage does sound tempting but no. I'm going to rest for a minute, and then I'm going to look in on Jamison. After that, I'm going to come back in here and go to bed. I'm pooped."

"I've got a few more things to do in my study, but I shouldn't be too long." He bends down and kisses me before placing a kiss on my stomach. "I love my girls."

"We love you too.", I smile. "Go and finish your work so you can hurry up and come to bed."

"Is someone a little eager for me to come back so I can perhaps make her come?", he teases.

"It's more like someone wants her and her husband to get a good nights rest. Jamison may be sleeping more through the night, but things are going to change once Delaney arrives."

* * *

Before I even place my foot inside the kitchen the next morning, I hear a ton of commotion. Slowly, I peek my head inside and see Christian feeding Jamison while Taylor's feeding Riley. Sophie's helping Gail at the stove. They all stop what they're doing when they see me.

"Morning.", the entire room greets me at once.

"Good morning. It seems you all are up and ready to go this morning.", I say, sitting down next to Christian. "Taylor Family, how does it feel to be back?" The family returned from Maine late last night.

"Our trip was nice, but it's nice being home.", Gail answers as Nancy arrives. "Hi Nancy, how's your mom?"

"She's home but has been given strict orders to rest. The doctor said she was fortunate that the heart attack wasn't too severe. My dad's keeping an eye on her, and my sister is there as well. She and I are going to take turns. When I leave here today, I'll go and take her place."

"If you need anything, let us know.", Christian says.

"I will.", she replies as she looks over at the eggs being cooked by Gail and Sophie. "Would you like me to take over so you can eat?"

"We've already ate and so have Christian and Jason. This is for you and Ana. Have a seat, and we'll serve you." Nancy smiles in appreciation and sits down across from me.

"What's Sophie school status?", I ask while Gail sets my plate in front of me.

"Sophie's going to be enrolled in Seattle West Middle School. We're going tomorrow to enroll her even though classes don't begin for another two weeks.", Taylor says. He glances over at Sophie who's no longer smiling. "Relax, kiddo, you're going to make friends at your new school."

"I'm glad that I'm living here with you, but it's going to weird making new friends. My old school was so small that everyone knew each other. I'm worried the kids at the new school won't like me."

"How could they not like you?", Gail says. "You're smart, funny, and sweet. Go in there and be yourself."

"Good advice.", Christian says, wiping food from the corner of Jamison's mouth. "You're going to do just fine." I dig into my food and grin around at the room. Madeline's death was only a few days ago, but things are slowly getting back to normal which is what we need.

* * *

**C POV**

"Little brother, how's the remodel going?", Elliot asks. He stopped by my office on his way back from a job site.

"It's going well. Grant Sullivan's got some wonderful ideas. My favorite so far is the addition of a fountain in the downstairs lobby." I open the remodel file and hand Elliot the sketch of the lobby.

"This is good. I like how he has the columns set up by the entrance. He clearly knows what he's doing." He slides the sketch back over to me. "How's Ana?"

"She's well. Our weekend away was good for her.", I murmur. "Madeline Turner's death is tragic, but I'm relieved she can't do any more harm to us, especially Ana. My wife's been through enough hell in her life."

"She's a very strong woman who's also luckly to have you in her corner."

"Thanks. What's going on with you? How's the house search going?"

"Remember how I broke my leg while skateboarding when I was twelve?", he asks.

"You tripped over your skateboard which was on the stairs."

"Eh, it's basically the same. Anyway, looking for the right place is almost as bad as having my leg broken. We've seen some ok places, but I don't want an ok place. I want the best. Spencer should have the best."

"Be patient. Don't let it stress you out.", I tell him. "I'll be on the lookout for places that might be the one for you." Elliot blows out a breath as my phone rings. "It's Mia."

"Crap. She left me a voicemail earlier and wanted to call her back, but I haven't done it yet."

"Hey Mia.", I answer.

"Hi. I've got big news. First, have you talked to Elliot?"

"He's actually sitting across from me in my office. I'm going to put you on speaker." Even though Elliot's mouthing no, I ignore him and press the speaker button. "Ok Mia, you're on speaker."

"Thanks. Elliot, did you get my voicemail?", she asks.

"Yes I did, and I'm sorry for not calling you back yet. I've been busy. I promise I was going to the first chance I got."

"I'll let it slide...this time. Besides, I'm in too good of a mood to argue with you. Ben and I have set a date for the wedding. We're getting married September 19."

"September is next month.", Elliot scoffs.

"Congratulations. You know your months. I realize it may be soon, but it's not going to be over the top. I've already got my dress, and Ben has a suit picked out. Mom's helping with the flowers while Ben's Aunt Gina has agreed to make the cake."

"Mia, where are you planning on having the wedding?", I ask her.

"On the beach. If it rains, we're going to have it at Mom and Dad's. Both of you have said you want me to have a dream wedding, and I'm going to have it. Please be happy."

"We are happy for you." I point to the phone so Elliot can give his blessing.

"We're very happy for you."

"Mia and Ben have set a date.", I say as Ana and I are sitting in the living room with Spencer and Elliot who joined us for dinner. "Mia called while Elliot was at my office."

"She mentioned wanting a fall wedding so is it going to be in October or November?", Spencer asks. Ana tilts her head and looks up at me.

"Nope. September 19. It's going to be a beach wedding."

"That's only a month away.", Ana murmurs. "It might be a lot of work, but it's not impossible to put together."

"Mia sounded confident it can be done.", Elliot says.

"At least they're not eloping like April and Bryce.", Spencer mumbles as Ana's eyes dart to her. "Sore subject. I'm sorry."

"It's no longer a sore subject because it's a subject that's in the past.", Ana sighs. She and Spencer stare at each other while Elliot and I trade glances.

"You're right, and I shouldn't have revisited it."

"Fine. Back to Mia's wedding, I'll do whatever she needs me to do."

"As long as you don't overstress yourself.", I tell her. "Much of the day is either already planned or in the process of being set." Ana suddenly bursts into tears and buries her head against me. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just so happy for her and Ben."


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"Are you still enjoying the new place?", I ask Charles who's joining us for breakfast. Since he moved out, we've kept in regular contact.

"I'm still enjoying it very much. The only issue I've had thus far has been the entire floor's air conditioning going out the other day. It wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't been the most humid day of the year."

"Charles, that's terrible.", Ana murmurs after taking the last bite of her granola. "You could've stayed with us."

"Ana's right. Why didn't you let us know what was happening? We would've been more than glad to have you stay with us.", I say.

"I considered calling you, but I didn't want you to worry.", Charles says. "It was only out a day, and I stayed with Carol."

"I hope your landlord is going to make sure the incident isn't repeated."

"Things happen.", Charles shrugs. "My landlord was very remorseful and assured all of us the rent would be lowered to reflect the air issue. Other than that, living there has been great. The laundry room is fully equipped with new washers and dryers, and the roof is in the process of being turned into a patio area for the residents."

"I bet that's going to be nice once it's completed.", Ana smiles. She turns to Jamison who's sitting in his high chair and grinning at Charles. "It seems someone's happy you decided to have breakfast with us." Charles pushes his plate back and moves his chair closer to Jamison.

"I'm happy I stopped by. Are you anxious to see your sister?"

"No.", Jamison answers with a head shake.

"I have a feeling you'll change your mind. I was getting my dry cleaning yesterday when I saw Carrick. He told me Mia's set a wedding date for next month. I'm sure the two of you are excited."

"We are. It's going to be small and simple but perfect.", Ana replies. Although I don't want Ana overstressing herself, she's stated that she wants to help with the wedding in any way she can which is fine with my sister. "There's not even going to be bridesmaids or groomsmen. Mia and Ben want everyone to wear casual clothes."

"If I ever get married again, I'd like to go the intimate route.", Charles says nonchalantly.

"If?", I ask. "Or do you mean _when_?"

"I mean _if_. Things with Carol are great, but we're a long way from even considering marriage." Just then, Jamison pulls his bowl off the table, sending part of the cereal on to the floor and the rest on him. He stares at the mess briefly before erupting into tears.

"Shhh.", Ana says, standing and taking the baby out of his seat. She rubs circles on his back to calm him. "It's ok. It was an accident." The cries slowly subside. Watching Ana with Jamison is one of the most incredible things in the world. She turns her eyes from him and on to me. "I'm going to go and change him."

"All right. I'll clean up in here.", I reply. After she pads out of the room, I start cleaning up the cereal from the floor.

"You're getting closer to welcoming Delaney. I'm not going to ask if you're ready since I already know the answer.", Charles says, smiling while helping me.

"I'm ready to see and hold her."

* * *

"You have a visitor.", Andrea says nervously as I'm on my way into my office following meeting with Ros. I wait for the name of my visitor, but Andrea shifts her eyes over to April who appears just as nervous.

"Are you going to tell me who it is or am I supposed to guess?", I ask.

"It's um...Donna Baxter. She's in the downstairs lobby, but I told the front desk not to allow her any further until I've informed you. I remember how she's not exactly your favorite person."

"You're damn right about that.", I mutter. Donna Baxter's part in Madeline Turner's plan is something that'll never be forgotten, but I also wonder what she wants. Why has chosen to show up at my office? "Tell the front desk to allow her up."

"Are you sure?", April asks. "After what that woman put you and Ana through?"

"That's why I need to find out what she wants now." Andrea grabs the phone and calls the front desk as I go to my office door. Five minutes later, Donna Baxter arrives on the floor, looking nothing like her old scheming self. The woman in front of me has darker hair and is wearing less makeup. Her clothes are now almost frumpy.

"Mr. Grey, thank you for your time.", she says in a barely audible tone.

"I don't have much time so why don't we go into my office?" She walks into the office and stands in the center of the room. "Have a seat." While I'm getting settled at my desk, I notice her eyes on a photo in the center of the wall behind me. It's a new photo that I snapped of Ana and Jamison. Ana's growing bump is visibly noticable in the photo as she and Jamison blow kisses at the camera. "Could you please not stare at that photo?"

"Sorry. It really is a lovely photo."

"It's a beautiful photo.", I snap. "Why are you here?"

"It's about my connection to Madeline. I've never had a large support system in my life. I had very few friends, and the one person who I could always count on was my mother. She was my best friend, and when she passed away, part of me died as well. I felt alone. Madeline and my mother became close during their time in the same cell. I was sad for Madeline when my mother died. Like me, she was alone. She had already lost her son and husband. We shared our grief. It was through that grief that Madeline asked me to help her. I should've said no as soon as she brought up the idea, but I was in a bad place. My logical thinking no longer existed. The deeper the plan for revenge got, the more I began to doubt it. I visited Madeline and told her I wasn't sure if we should continue, but she wouldn't hear it. She said it was too late to stop. A few days later, I visited again and was told about Ana's visit. The two of you had figured out the plan."

"Did you really think we wouldn't?", I scoff. "I've got the best people working for me. Your little plan was doomed from the start."

"You're right. Before I left that last visit, Madeline told me she wasn't going to give up. She was going to find a way to make Ana pay for Caleb's death. It was only then that I truly saw the darkness in her eyes. I went home and started seeing things in a new light. Ana wasn't responsible for Caleb's death. He died as a result his own actions."

"Forgive me if I find it difficult in believing you suddenly woke up and saw the light."

"I know it sounds sketchy, but it's true. I stopped visiting Madeline even though she sent me a letter asking me to visit. When the police told me about her escape, I told them the truth which was I had no idea where she was. I was scared though. I was scared for Ana and your family. Finding out that Madeline had taken her own life was upsetting but also calming. I was relieved that she couldn't extend her plan for revenge. I was also relieved for her. She finally has closure and hopefully is at peace. I regret what I did, and I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you in hopes that you would tell Ana the same since I know you're protective and wouldn't allow me to tell her myself."

"Donna, I'm sorry about your mother, but the fact remains you were in collaboration with Madeline, something I can never forgive. The best thing for you do is leave and never come around me or my family ever again." She slowly stands and walks to the door, turning around.

"Thank you for your time, and don't worry. I won't bother you or Ana ever again. I promise."

* * *

**A POV**

"I've got an idea for the wedding.", I tell Mia who came over to visit. She sets her pen down next to her wedding notebook and looks up at me. "It's for when you and Ben walk down the aisle as husband and wife for the first time."

"What is it?"

"Keeping with the beach location, the guests can toss small beach balls. Of course there wouldn't be a barrage of them but a few. It's just a small idea."

"A small idea that I like...very much.", Mia says. "It's different yet perfect."

"I'm glad you like it. I'm also glad you want my help. It makes me feel good. I've been so emotional lately. I go from being happy to sad in record time."

"I'm sure you haven't been that bad."

"Imagine if The Notebook were to be made into a movie with Steel Magnolias.", I say as a light rain starts falling outside. "I've been twice as emotional than movie goers would be after seeng that movie."

"I go through almost an entire box of tissue every time I watch The Notebook.", Mia murmurs. "Dang. You really have been emotional. It's only temporary. You'll be back to your old self soon."

"True. I feel bad for Christian though. He constantly looks as though he's scared of me."

"I don't think Christian's scared of you. He might be cautious but definitely not scared."

"Regardless, I wish I wasn't such a mess.", I shrug, holding back tears. "See. I'm about to start crying now." I wipe the corners of my eyes as Christian opens the front door. "Hi." He looks at me and then Mia who holds her hands up.

"I didn't make her cry. I swear."

"Baby, what's wrong?", Christian asks. He goes down on one knee and clasps our hands together.

"I'm crying because..." I stop and try to control my crying. "Because...all I've been doing is crying. I'm sorry for being far from pleasant."

"You've been fine." In the corner of my eye, I see Mia stand.

"I'm going to let you guys have some time together. Ana, thank you for your help. I love the wedding idea. Bye." She waves and sprints out of the house before Christian or I can respond.

"Do you think I chased her away?", I sniffle.

"No.", Christian smiles while moving to the cushion next to me. "I'm not going to disagree and say you haven't been emotional. You've been shedding a tear or two or several, but I understand. It goes along with the pregnancy. Where's our precious boy?"

"Sleeping. How was work?"

"I got a visit today, and when I tell you about it, you're going to be upset."

"And why is that?"

"It was Donna Baxter." My face falls flat at his words. "She wanted to apologize for her part in the entire Madeline thing."

"I suppose she was playing a sympathy card.", I snarl.

"She went into detail about helping Madeline. According to Donna, she realized Madeline's quest for revenge was baseless, and she feel guilty for taking being a part of it."

"Christian, I really hope you don't feel bad for her. The woman planned to break up our marriage. She may not have been the mastermind, but she's guilty."

"I know that.", he replies. "I told her I was sorry that she lost her mother. That's as far as my sympathy for her goes. I also told her to never come around me or our family ever again."

"Do you think she's going to abide by your wishes?"

"If she knows what's best for her, she will."


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: It's wedding time for Mia and Ben. I found out the day I chose for their wedding, September 19, is also the anniversary of one of my readers and friends shan36. Since the wedding day has arrived in the story, Happy Anniversary Shanda!**

**A POV**

"This is your last day as a single woman. Thoughts?", I ask Mia while we sit in the living room of Carrick and Grace's house. Mia and Ben decided to not have a rehearsal dinner, but both bride and groom are spending some time with friends before finally tying the knot tomorrow. Since I'm with Mia and Christian's with Ben, Jamison's staying overnight with my dad and Mary.

"I'm ready. It's been a long time coming, and I can't wait to say I do to Ben. The moment we're pronounced husband and wife is going to be the most memorable moment of my life."

"You and Ben are going to have a long and joyful marriage.", Grace smiles. "I knew the moment the two of you met that you had something truly special. Both of you had a glimmer in your eyes when looking at the other. It's been wonderful watching you fall deeper in love."

"I had the same feeling.", Spencer says. "You're perfect for each other."

"Don't get me wrong, our relationship hasn't been perfect. We've had to work on things like everyone else. There have been times where I haven't been happy with things he's done and vice versa, yet no matter how frustrated we may get, we always find our way through it.", Mia replies. "Isn't that how all of you are with your guys?"

"Oh yes.", Grace laughs. "Your dad used to be terrible about leaving the toilet seat up. It would drive me up the wall. It seemed like the more I complained the more he did it." She clasps her hands together and sighs. "He finally started doing better."

"You already know Elliot and I haven't had an easy relationship.", Spencer murmurs. "I never thought things would have gotten so bad that we would break up, but I think it was what needed to happen in order for us to grow. We're now in a better than ever. Next week, we'll be moving into our new place." Elliot and Spencer's search for a new place came to an end last week when they found a three bedroom, ranch style house on the eastern part of Seattle.

"Every single relationship takes time and dedication.", I say. "If you truly want it to work, you'll do whatever it takes to make it happen. I was so stubborn when Christian and I first met. I was in a bad place, trying to get through each day. I told myself I shouldn't fall in love because Natalie wasn't going to get that chance." No matter how much time passes, I still miss my mom and Natalie. It's something that's never going to end. "Christian refused to give up on me. I'd push him away, and he'd come back fighting harder than ever. My point is there will be obstacles and trials, but in the end, it's going to be more than worth it."

"I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about tomorrow.", Mia shrieks while jumping up.

* * *

"You're just now getting home?", Christian asks as he sits up in the bed and looks at the clock which reads midnight. I take off my jacket and sit on my side of the bed. "I know when we talked earlier you said you were going to be out late, but I didn't know it would be this late."

"I didn't know it was going to be this late either, but I'm home now.", I shrug. "And some people don't consider midnight as late."

"Those people aren't seven months pregnant and in need of rest. Aren't you at least going to explain why you were out so late?"

"We decided to watch that movie Bridesmaids which Spencer surprisingly hadn't seen until tonight. Your mom can actually quote most of the scenes word for word."

"So you were late because you watched a movie?", he sighs, running his hands through his hair.

"It's not like we were out at a club.", I scoff as I lean back on the bed. "I'm sorry for not being home earlier. I don't get many nights like tonight, and I guess I was taking advantage of it as much as possible."

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have been so harsh towards you. I'm glad you had fun."

"What did you all do tonight?", I ask.

"We ate pizza and played Trivial Pursuit.", Christian chuckles. "We all wanted a laid back night, and according to my dad, board games is the perfect way to go about it. It was calm yet fun."

"I'm happy to hear you also had a nice evening." I lean over and kiss him on the lips. "I'm going to get up and get changed for ready. We have an early day tomorrow. I told my dad we'd pick Jamison up at ten. That'll give us plenty of time to get him ready for the wedding."

"The wedding.", Christian repeats with a smile. "My little sister is getting married."

* * *

**C POV**

"You're so cute.", Ana tells Jamison. She's just finished dressing him in a navy blue button up short sleeve shirt and khaki shorts. I stand in the doorway of his room, dressed similiar to him except I'm wearing khaki pants. Ana's glowing in a light pink sundress which has a yellow and white polka dot bow on the waist. She turns and blushes when she sees that I'm watching them. "Isn't he cute?"

"He certainly is. You're looking very beautiful. Are you feeling ok?"

"I'm feeling great. Mia's getting married, and I'm going to be spending the day with some of the best people in the world."

"It's also hot outside."

"Eh. The temperature isn't supposed to be as high as it has been, and there will probably be a breeze blowing off the water." She sets Jamison down on the floor and groans, placing her hand on her stomach. "Delaney's wired up today. She's been kicking nonstop." I take one of Jamison's hands and one of mine and place them on her stomach.

"Baby kick.", Jamison giggles as his baby sister practices her soccer moves. "Baby come out."

"The baby will be out soon.", I tell Jamison. "Are you ready to meet her?"

"Uh-huh." He leans closer to Ana's stomach, surprising both Ana and I by placing a small kiss. I don't have to look at Ana's eyes to know she's crying because the sniffling is giving it away. Of course, I'm crying as well.

* * *

"This is lovely.", April sighs as she and Bryce sit down in the row of seats behind Ana and I. The guests are seated in simple white folding chairs which have teal satin wrapped around the back and tied into a bow. Decorative starfish hang from the sides of the chairs.

"Where's Alex?", Ana asks.

"He's with my parents.", Bryce replies. "We were going to bring him, but they wanted to watch him for us." He waves to Elliot and Spencer who are sitting down in the row across from us. "Hey."

"Hey.", Elliot smiles. Jamison tries to wiggle out of my lap, wanting to go over to his uncle. "Let him down."

"Behave.", I say while standing and taking Jamison over to Elliot.

"I'll make sure he behaves."

"I was talking about you."

"Hi everyone.", my mom says. Standing next to her are Ben's mom and Beverly. Like my relationship with Charles, Mia's relationship with her birth mother continues to grow. It's nice seeing her here.

"Hey. Where's Dad?", I ask my mom who points to one of the small white tent that's been set up a few feet away from the seats. Another tent is set up on the other side of the chairs.

"He's in there with Mia while Ben's in the other tent with his dad. Neither of them seem nervous."

"I think I'm the nervous one.", Ben's mom laughs. "But it's a good kind of nervous."

"I could hardly sleep last night.", Beverly adds. "This is such special time for them." As she speaks, Ben and his dad along with the justice of the peace walk to the end of the aisle and stand underneath the arch that's been constructed from bamboo. "It must be close to time."

"We're almost ready.", Ben announces while everyone sits down. The sound of the crashing waves is soon joined by the melody of the wedding march being played. Ana's fingers loop around mine as we rotate our heads to the sight of my dad and Mia. My dad's appears as if he's already been crying, but it's only after I see Mia's eyes lock with Ben's that her eyes water. She and my dad ease their way down the aisle and towards a waiting and smiling Ben. Once they're at the arch, my dad kisses Mia's cheek and takes a seat next to my mom.

"You're stunning.", Ben tells Mia. The justice of the peace takes a step forward and begins the ceremony.

"We're gathered here today to join Ben and Mia into one. Mia and Ben have asked me to recite a piece by Wilferd Arlan Peterson. It's titled the **Art of Marriage**.

Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens. A good marriage must be created.  
In the art of marriage the little things are the big things…

It is never being too old to hold hands.

It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.

It is never going to sleep angry.

It is at no time taking the other for granted;  
the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,  
it should continue through all the years.

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.  
It is standing together facing the world.

It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.

It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude  
of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.

It is speaking words of appreciation  
and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.

It is not looking for perfection in each other.  
It is cultivating flexibility, patience,  
understanding and a sense of humor.

It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.

It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.

It is finding room for the things of the spirit.  
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.

It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal,  
dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.

It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.

It is discovering what marriage can be, at its best.

The entire audience has been hanging on to every word amid tears.

"Ben and Mia will now say their vows and exchange rings. Ben will go first." Ben reaches into his pocket and pulls out Mia's silver wedding band, sliding it on to her ring finger.

"Mia, I take you to be my partner for life. I promise above all else to live in truth with you and to communicate fully and fearlessly. I give you my hand and my heart as a sanctuary of warmth and peace and pledge my love, devotion, faith and honor as I join my life to yours."

"And now the bride." Mia's puzzled as she spins around before my dad finally hands her Ben's ring.

"I thought I had lost it.", Mia giggles. "Ben, I believe in you, the person you will grow to be and the couple we will be together. With my whole heart, I take you as my husband, acknowledging and accepting your faults and strengths, as you do mine. I promise to be faithful and supportive and to always make our family's love and happiness my priority. I will be yours in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in failure and in triumph. I will dream with you, celebrate with you and walk beside you through whatever our lives may bring. You are my person—my love and my life, today and always."

Ana's emotions are at an all time high as the vows conclude.

"I love weddings.", she sniffles.

"Ben and Mia have proclaimed their love for each other and are now ready to embark on their new journey as husband and wife. Ben, you may kiss your bride." Ben eagerly takes Mia into his arms and kisses her while everyone stands and applauds them. Spencer quicky hands out the small plastice beach balls which Ana suggested. The newlyweds stroll down the aisle and laugh as the beach balls are launched with the Imagine Dragons song "It's Time" playing."

"They did it.", I say softly.

"They sure did.", Ana smiles.

**A/N 2: The song at the end of the wedding was "It's Time" from Imagine Dragons. Besides being a huge FSOG fan, I'm also a fan of Gossip Girl, and the song was used in the episode in which Blair and Chuck tied the knot.**


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"What's got your attention?, I ask Ana after seeing that she's fixated on something in front of her. She looks up and hands me her phone.

"Mia sent me some more photos from Paris." Mia and Ben are currently on week two of their three week European honeymoon. Both have been regularly sending photos of their trip.

"They look like they're having the time of their lives." I swipe my hand across the screen and see a photo of Mia and Ben with the Eiffel Tower in the background. "When I talked to her last night, she said they're leaving this afternoon for Italy."

"I'd like to visit Italy some day.", Ana murmurs.

"I went to Milan for business a few years ago, and it was wonderful. You can be sure the two of us will be making a trip there sometime in the future." I settle down next to her on the sofa as the front door opens and in walk my parents with Jamison who rushes over to Ana and me. "Hey little man. Did you have fun at the zoo?" Jamison woke up yesterday morning and started talking about how much he wanted to see the animals at the zoo. Once my parents heard about it, they offered to take him.

"Uh-huh. See bear.", Jamison answers.

"You did. What else did you see?"

"Cat." My dad starts moves further into the room and chuckles.

"The cat was actually a tiger.", my dad says as he holds a bag up. "We got him a shirt with zoo animals on it."

"The sweetheart also wanted his baby sister to have one.", my mom adds. "Luckily the gift shop sells onesies exactly like the shirt Jamison got." She reaches into the bag and pulls out Jamison's shirt and Delaney's onesie. "Cute, huh?"

"Adorable.", Ana replies. "I'm glad the three of you had fun. Thank you for taking him."

"It was our pleasure.", my dad says.

"Why don't you guys have a seat?", I tell them. "Do you want something to drink or eat?"

"No but thank you. We should be getting home so we can get ready. We're attending an engagement party for my old pal Ned Stevens."

"Ned Stevens is getting married? I never thought I'd see the day." My dad and Ned Stevens have been friends for years. Ned was even one of my dad's groomsmen when he and my mom were married, but Ned's been a bachelor who once expressed that he was never getting married.

"Believe me, I was surprised myself.", my mom giggles.

"Carrick, is he marrying the woman he was dating when he attended your birthday party last year?", Ana asks as Jamison climbs between the two of us. "I can't remember her name."

"I wouldn't be shocked if Ned's forgotten her name as well.", my dad sighs. "The woman he's marrying is named Dana Gentry. She and Ned have only been dating six months or so, yet Ned is sure she's the one he wants to break his no marriage rule with."

"Carrick and I have been around the two of them a few times, and they get along well. Dana's very nice. She owns her owns her own public relations firm which is extremely successful.", my mom says. "The wedding is going to be held the end of next month at their new house."

"Please give them our congratulations and best wishes.", Ana smiles.

"We're happy for them.", I follow.

* * *

"I realize the building is going to look incredible once the remodel is complete, but the lobby is a mess.", Ros mutters after we finish a meeting with the department heads.

"It's only temporary.", I say from my seat at the end of the conference table. After completing the blueprints, Grant Sullivan and his team have officially started the physical portion of the remodel, beginning with the downstairs lobby.

"I talked to Grant Sullivan this morning when I was on my to the elevator. He seems to think the lobby will be complete in about two weeks. Two weeks isn't so bad."

"Not at all. We've got to make sure anyone coming or going through the lobby is cautious." I gather my folders and stack them before standing. "What time is our meeting in Portland in tomorrow?"

"Eleven. Have you decided on transport?", Ros asks.

"I'm going to fly us if that's ok with you."

"I've flown with you many times before so I trust you." I peer down at my phone to see if I have any missed calls or texts from Ana. "I'm going to guess that you're seeing if Ana's called or texted."

"I had my phone on silent for the meeting even though I shouldn't have. Ana's not due for another four weeks, but I want to be available for her at all times."

"As you should.", Ros says as she stands and walks with me to the conference room door. "I'm going to get back to work so my boss won't give me a hard time. He can be tough at times."

"So I've heard.", I laugh.

* * *

**A POV**

"It's been forever since we've gotten together.", I tell Candace and Maxie. Neither of them had classes today so they're hanging out at the house with me.

"It really has.", Candace says as she swirls her straw around in her lemonade. "This school semester has only started, but it's already kicking my tail. I was up until one thirty this morning working on homework. Although it's not due until tomorrow, I wanted to get it out of the way since I'm going to be working at the diner tonight."

"Normally, I wait until the last minute to do mine, but I'm trying to be more responsible this semester.", Maxie smiles. "Plus, I have a date tonight with Cooper."

"So that's still going strong?", I ask while Jamison hands me his teddy bear. "Thank you."

"It's going very strong. My mom is even shocked that I'm still dating him, and she's the one who set the blind date up. She originally thought I was only dating him to please her which is far from the case. I'm dating him because he's a great guy."

"He really is a nice guy.", Candace adds. "Roger, this guy in one of my classes, asked me a few weeks ago. I wasn't sure at first until Maxie suggested that she and Cooper tag along and make it a double date. We were all having a nice time until Roger went the restroom and didn't come back. I instantly started blaming myself, thinking it was something I did, but I realized it wasn't me. It was him. He had been texting on his phone the entire time prior to going to the restroom. How rude is that? Cooper, Maxie, and I ended up enjoying the rest of the dinner."

"Did Roger offer an explanation as to why he left?", I ask her.

"He may have lied about going to the restroom, but he was honest when I confronted him. He said his ex was wanting to meet with him to discuss potentially getting back together. When I asked why he couldn't just tell me that, he said he didn't want to make a scene."

"Can you say loser?", Maxie mutters. "Ana, how have been feeling?"

"Great. I had the scare earlier in the pregnancy, but things are going well now. I'm a little nervous today though. Christian had a meeting in Portland, and he decided to fly there. He's an expert pilot, but I still worry." On cue, I hear my phone ring and see Christian's name on the screen. "It's him. Can you guys watch Jamison while I take this?"

"Sure.", Candace answers. I stand and walk into the kitchen where I answer the phone.

"Hi."

"I was getting worried when it took so long for you to answer.", Christian says.

"I was in the living room with Candace and Maxie, and I decided to answer the call in the kicthen. On the subject of worrying, please tell me you're ok."

"I'm ok. Ros and I have just finished our meeting, and we're going to be getting ready to take off for our return trip to Seattle. The weather is picture perfect with no clouds in sight."

"Promise me you're going to be careful.", I sniffle.

"Ana, I promise you I'm going to be careful. I'll be home before you know it."

"Hi Ana!", I hear Ros shout in the background.

"Tell Ros hi for me." Christian sighs and then tells Ros I said hi. "I'll let you get ready for takeoff. Be safe. Jamison, Delaney, and I love you."

"I love you guys too."

* * *

"Ana, did you have a nice nap?", Nancy asks as I walk downstairs. After Candace and Maxie left, both Jamison and I laid down for a nap. I just woke up, but Jamison's still sleeping.

"It wasn't long enough.", I scoff. "I tried to go back to sleep, but I kept having some small pains in my lower abdomen."

"Uh oh.", Gail says. She and Sophie have just walked into the living room and are looking at me with concern. "Do you think it's possible you might be in labor?"

"I have another four weeks to go. It's probably only Braxton HIcks."

"Didn't you say the same thing when you were pregnant with Jamison? Only it turned out to be labor. How strong and far apart are these pains?"

"Every five minutes. They're not too..." I stop in the middle of my sentence and grab my stomach as another pain radiates through my body. This one is even sharper than the previous ones. "It might be a good idea if we go to the hospital. Oh no. Christian's not here. I need him here."

"He and my dad just pulled into the driveway.", Sophie says. She opens the front door and shouts for Christian and Taylor. Sawyer, who's been in the security room, runs out to see what's going on.

"Is everything ok?", he asks but the expression on my face tells him things aren't ok. "Baby time?"

"Baby time?", Christian repeats, beaming on his way inside the house.

"I'm not sure.", I reply. "It's possible." I blow out a breath while feeling another pain.

"You guys go on, and I'll watch Jamison.", Nancy says.

"Mama. Dada.", Jamison whines. Christian picks him up and kisses his cheek.

"Mama and Dada are going to the hospital. Your sister might be on the way. Miss Nancy's going to watch you, but we're going to be checking in with you."

* * *

**C POV**

"Ana, this is the real thing. You're in labor.", Dr. Greene informs us after she examines Ana. "You're already dilated to seven."

"It's too early. She's not due for another four weeks.", Ana murmurs.

"She's going to be fine. Trust me."

"Dr. Greene's right.", I assure Ana. "Delaney's got her mom's will power and strength. She's going to come out roaring."

"Oh my god!", Ana screams as she grips my left hand. She breathes through the contraction which lasts close to a minute. "That wasn't so bad. Did I hurt you?"

"No, but fortunately I'm right handed.", I joke. She frowns and then bursts into a smile. "There's that beautiful smile." Ana's smile fades as the fetal monitor starts beeping. Dr. Greens puts down her chart and rushes over to see what's going on.

"The baby's heart rate is dropping. We're going to need to do a c-section. Ana, Christian, I'm going to make sure both mom and baby are ok."

"I'm scared.", Ana says.

"Don't be. You and Delaney are going to be fine.", I tell her. Dr. Greene steps out of the room briefly and returns with two nurses.

"We've got a baby to deliver. Let's go.", Dr. Greene announces. I hold on to Ana's hand while she's taken from the room and toward the operating room. Am I scared? Yes. I can't show my fear in front of Ana. I need to be calm for her sake.

"Don't leave me.", Ana pleads with me. "He can be in there, right?"

"Of course.", Dr. Greene answers. "Christian, you can get prepped while we prep Ana. I nod and bend down, kissing Ana on the lips.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

"We're ready.", one of the nurses says. A drape has been placed at the foot of the gurney. Ana's eyes are on mine as the Dr. Greene begins.

"Our family is in the waiting room and as anxious as we are to meet Delaney.", I whisper. "Well, maybe not as anxious since I feel like doing cartwheels." I'm hoping my talking will help keep Ana in good spirits.

"All is looking good.", Dr. Greene says from where she's working. "I can see the head."

"She's almost here.", Ana smiles. The beautiful sound of our daughter crying fills the room.

"Ana, Christian, you have a daughter."

"We did it it.", I tell her, letting my tears fall. I look up and see Dr. Greene holding Delaney. "Ana, she's precious."

"Is she ok?", Ana asks.

"She's perfect.", Dr. Greene replies over Delaney's cries. "Her lungs are defintely working. Christian, care to do the honor of cutting the umblical cord?"

"Hi sweet baby. We've been waiting to meet you. We love you.", I tell my newborn daughter while cutting the umbilical cord. One of the nurses takes her from Dr. Greene and starts cleaning her up. Moments later, Delaney is placed in my arms. I step around so Ana can see our miracle. "Hi Mommy."

"Hi Delaney Grace Grey."


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"I'm ready to get out of here.", I groan as I lean my head back on my pillow. "I'm tired of staring at this ceiling." It's been three days since I gave birth via c-section to Delaney Grace Grey, and all I want to do is go home.

"I'm just as eager for the two of you to be home, but you can't leave until you get the green light from the doctor.", Christian says. In his arms is our precious bundle of joy who's sleeping. "She's so cute." During our admiring, the door opens and in sprints Jamison, our other little angel. Trailing behind him are Grace and Carrick who have been helping watch Jamison during the day while Christian visits.

"Baby.", Jamison grins. He tiptoes over to Christian and peeks down at his sister. His smile is as wide as it was when he first saw Delaney a few hours after her birth. Christian carefully placed the baby in Jamison's arms and sat down next to the pair while my dad snapped a photo.

"Have you been good for your grandparents?", I ask Jamison who nods his head. I then look over at Carrick and Grace for confirmation.

"He's been great. We've played and rested and played some more.", Carrick says. "Christian said Jamison a little ball of energy, and I believe it."

"He's also been asking when his sister and mom are going to be home.", Grace adds.

"We're supposed to be released today, but it seems like Dr. Greene's dragging her heels.", I growl as Taylor enters the room with a large bouquet of flowers along with an It's A Girl balloon. "More gifts." Our family and friends have been showering us with flowers, balloons, and stuffed animals which Christian has been taking home at night.

"Dad, can you see who sent those?", Christian asks. Carrick takes the card and smiles.

"Congrats on my baby sister. Love, Jamison.", Carrick says. Jamison is too busy staring at the baby to realize what's going on.

"Jamison, thank you for the flowers and balloons.", Christian tells our son. Jamison finally turns his head to the flowers and balloons. "That was very nice of you. Did you by any chance have any help?"

"Maybe.", Grace replies coyly. "Mia called earlier and said to give Delaney a kiss from her and Ben. She's still a little upset that she's not here."

"I know.", Christian sighs. "When she called this morning, she once again offered to come back early, and I once again told her to continue on with the honeymoon. They'll be back soon and will be able to love on Delaney." I watch as Jamison eases forward and touches Delaney's hand.

"Here you go.", I hear Carrick say. Turning my head, I see him offering me a tissue. It's only then that I realize I've got tears.

"Thank you."

* * *

"Let me help you.", Christian says as I'm trying to change my clothes. After Dr. Greene finally released Delaney and I, we wasted no time getting home. I swat his hand away and once again go to change out of my pants, but I once again have trouble.

"Ouch. Fine.", I mumble. "Maybe I need some help." Christian carefully helps me out of my dark gray yoga pants and into a pair of black ones. He finishes and steps away. "You're not going to gloat?"

"Why would I do such a thing? You needed help. How about you get some rest? You don't want to overdo it."

"All I've been doing is resting. I promise not to do too much."

"All right.", he says while kissing me. He loops my hand in his and leads us out of the bedroom and into the living room where Sawyer's watching Jamison. The two of them are in the floor with Jamison's toy train. "Thank you for watching him."

"It was fun.", Sawyer laughs. "I can't remember the last time I played with toy trains."

"I'm sure Jamison will let you borrow his.", I say while Sawyer gets to his feet.

"Mama." Jamison hands me one of the trains which I roll along the arm of the sofa. Sawyer starts towards the kitchen when there's a soft knock at the front door. When he opens it, Jamison grins at my dad who opens his arms out. Jamison toddles into the embrace as Mary steps around my dad.

"Hi.", she waves.

"Hey guys.", I say. "Come on in." I notice the large gift bag in her hand. "Baby gifts?"

"Yes and no. We have gifts for both kids.", my dad answers, opening the bag to pull out a dark blue tee shirt with a puppy on it. Dark blue shorts accompany the shirt. "This is for Jamison." He then pulls out a mint green dress with a bow on the front. "And this is for Delaney."

"Thank you. Delaney's sleeping if you guys want to go and see her.", Christian tells them.

"We will in a little bit.", Mary replies. She and my dad sit down on the love seat, and Christian helps me on to the sofa while Jamison goes back to his trains. "Glad to be home?"

"So glad.", I answer. "It's a given that I'm going to be sleeping better tonight."

"When you're not up with your newborn.", my dad jokes.

"Even so, I'll still be more comfortable than I was at the hospital. I don't think anyone would rather sleep in a hospital bed than their bed at home."

"Jamison and I are definitely going to be sleeping better now that our girls are home.", Christian grins, kissing my hand.

* * *

**C POV**

"How did Delaney's first night home go?", Ros asks while I'm Skyping with her.

"It went ok. She was awake every two hours. I didn't mind at all when it came time to get up with Jamison, and the same goes for now with Delaney, especially since Ana's limited." My wife's always been stubborn, but she's been even more so following the c-section. "If I could just get Ana to take it easy more.", I murmur.

"To help in keeping you calm, I assure you everything is going well at the office. I met briefly yesterday afternoon with Grant Sullivan who wait for it...is ninety-five percent finished with the lobby. It'll be complete a week ahead of schedule."

"That's great."

"You don't sound as excited as I expected you'd be."

"I'm excited. It's just the remodel is small in comparison to the even greater event of my daughter being born." My daughter. I could say repeat those two words all day and not get tired. Ana and I are now the proud parents of two precious children, and we couldn't be happier.

"I understand completely. By the way, I've done a little rearranging in your office." My good mood starts going downhill.

"You did some rearranging in my office? Ros, why would you do such a thing?"

"Because I'm doing my work in your office. I figured since I was in charge I'd be better off in your office although I have to admit mine has a better view of the city." I feel my blood pressure spiking while trying to find the right words to say. Instead, I breathe heavily into the phone. "Christian? Are you still there?", Ros asks. "Oh good. I can hear your breathing. In that case, I guess I'd better go ahead and tell you I'm joking."

"You're joking.", he mutter with relief.

"I'm always joking around with you at work, and I thought I'd do the same with you over the phone since you're not here. I'm sorry."

"I'm the one who should be apologizing. I should have realized you were just kidding."

"I'll forgive you on one condition.", she says. "You have to say it's ok for me to visit tomorrow. I would today, but I've got work and a dinner party tonight."

"You're more than welcome to visit.", I smile.

* * *

"Her little bow fell off.", Carol says. She bends and picks up the light pink bow that's just fallen from Delaney's head. When I told Ana I'd dress the baby, I decided to add the bow to her outfit although the thing has fallen off several times already. Charles, who came with Carol to visit, sits in the recliner and holds Delaney while Ana and I look on from the sofa.

"That bow was her dad's idea.", Ana giggles. "I told him it would probably fall out, but he insisted that she wear it."

"It compliments her outfit.", I shrug in reference to the light pink onesie Delaney's wearing.

"Where bow?", Jamison asks after running from the kitchen.

"It fell out.", Charles tells him, glancing down at Delaney. "She has the same nose as Jamison."

"That would be their mom's little button nose.", I say.

"Delaney doesn't have much hair, but what she has is almost the same tone of copper as her brother and her dad.", Ana adds.

"This is great.", Charles says. "Being here with all of you." He looks up at me and smiles. "Thank you for allowing this to happen."

"You're welcome. What's been going on with the two of you?" Charles and Carol shoot each other a grin and blush. "I'm not sure what that look was for, but I think I'm going to like hearing about it."

"Charles and I are moving in together.", Carol announces. "It might seem sudden."

"But it feels right.", Charles says. "We got to talking about it about two weeks ago, and last night we decided to go for it."

"I'm happy for you.", Ana tells them. "Christian?"

"I'm happy for you as well. The two of you are great together and taking the next step is a wonderful idea. Are you moving into a new place or will you be moving into one of your apartments?"

"Carol's going to be moving into my place.", Charles answers. Since learning about their relationship, I've been one of their biggest supporters. Today's news adds to the joy our family's already experiencing. "I've come to see that you can't take things in life for granted. You need to tell those around you how you feel. Life's too short for what if's."

"I feel the same way."


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"Mia and Ben are going to be here soon.", Ana says after changing Delaney. She eases the baby into my arms and wonders into the closet. "I need to change my shirt."

"What's wrong with the one you have on now?", I ask. She turns and points to a spot on the top right corner.

"Baby spit up."

"You still look beautiful. While you're changing, Delaney and I are going to go and check on Jamison." I walk out of our bedroom and downstairs to the kitchen where Jamison's with Nancy, Gail, Sophie, and Riley. "Hey buddy. What are you doing?"

"I have juice.", he answers, holding up his sippy cup. He points to Sophie who's concentrated on the book in front of her. "Soph got book." Sophie brings her eyes up and sighs.

"It's a long book I've got to read for my school book report.", she says.

"How are you liking your new school?", Nancy asks her.

"I like it. I've made a few friends, but this one girl, Keely, is like a best friend. She came up to me the first day and just started being nice. I went over to her house the other day even though I wasn't sure if my dad was going to let me."

"Jason wanted to meet Keely and her parents first.", Gail says. "So we went over to their house and met them. They seem like nice people so Sophie stayed over a few hours."

"I don't blame you.", I tell Gail, earning a tilt of the head from Sophie. "Your dad and Gail are only looking out for you. It's one of the pieces in parenting."

"Which you won't be experiencing any time soon.", Taylor laughs on his way into the kitchen. He picks up Riley's carrier and turns to me. "I've got everything done unless there's something else you need me to do."

"I don't have anything else. You guys go home and have a nice evening. Nancy, that goes for you too." She places the last dish in the cabinet and nods.

"Thank you. I hope everyone has a great night, and I'll see you tomorrow." She leaves through the front door while the Taylor family make their exit via the side door.

* * *

"I'm sorry I took so long.", Ana murmurs on her way towards me. Jamison runs to her and hands her his now empty sippy cup. "Thank you sweet boy." She sets the cup in the sink and rolls her head on her neck. "I had just got done changing when my phone started going off with a call from April who was checking in on us. How about we go into the living room and wait on Mia and Ben." Before we start for the living room, the doorbell rings. "Jamison, I bet that's Aunt Mia." His eyes light up and stay on Ana while she opens the door. Mia practically bounces inside the house with a grinning Ben following behind.

"Jamison!", Mia squeals. She picks him up and begins peppering his cheeks with tiny kisses. He's giddy with laughter the entire time.

"Hey little man.", Ben says, kissing Jamison as well.

"Hey sis.", I say. Mia sets Jamison down and smiles at Delaney who's resting comfortably in my arms.

"Meet your niece.", Ana tells Mia and Ben while hugging them.

"She's beautiful. Can I hold her?", Mia asks. After she's settled on the love seat, I gently place the baby in her arms. "I'm sorry I'm just now getting to meet you. I offered to come back, but your daddy insisted that we stay on our honeymoon."

"Ah, the old guilt trip.", I smirk as I help Ana ease into one of the chair. I then sit down with Jamison on the sofa. "How was the honeymoon?" Mia and Ben are both crimson red in the face. "The PG version please."

"It was amazing. I've been to Europe before, but nothing could prepare me for the way it felt this time. I owe it to having my husband with me."

"I'm the husband.", Ben says excitedly.

"I would hope that Mia still had the same husband as when she left.", Ana giggles. "I understand what you're getting at. Calling Mia your wife and her calling your her husband is the greatest feeling in the world. Am I right?"

"Yeah. Husband is the greatest title I've ever heard."

"Mom and Dad will be equally wonderful.", I say, nodding at Mia whose pinky finger is locke with Delaney's.

"One day.", Mia replies softly. "I know that Ben's going to be the best father."

"You're going to a great mother.", Ben tells her. "Like Mia said, one day. We just got married and want to enjoy the newlywed life. It's going to be difficult getting back to the real world after being off this long."

"I'm dreading it as well. My first day back at work is tomorrow although I've been doing a little work here at the house.", I say.

"Christian's once again reluctant to return to work.", Ana sighs. "It took him a while to adjust when he returned following Jamison's birth, and he'll be the same way this time as well. I've assured him everything will be ok here. He needs to get back to the office to oversee the remodel."

"How's that coming along?", Mia asks me.

"The lobby is going to be complete this week. There was a minor issue with water not going to the fountain, but it's working now. As easier as it would be to oversee things from the office, I don't have to be there every second which I've already told Ana. Ros has been doing a superb job during my absence."

"I know she has.", Ana says as Jamison starts rubbing his eyes. "Someone is getting sleepy."

"I am indeed.", Mia jokes. "We should get going. Ben and I need to try and get back in the groove with the time."

"It's been good seeing you all.", Ben says.

* * *

**A POV**

"Christian was in a pleasant mood when he arrived this morning.", April says. She had only a half day at GEH so she came over to join me for lunch before heading to pick up Alex. With both Jamison and Delaney fed, they're upstairs napping away.

"You sound like that's surprising." I reach for the salad dressing and pour a tiny bit more on to my salad.

"It was surprising considering it's his first day back since Delaney's been born."

"He wasn't ready to go back, but he started feeling a little better last night." I take a bite of my salad and grimace. "I didn't have enough dressing at first, and now I think I have too much."

"You should try the salad dressing Bryce makes. I came home one day and found him in the kitchen with all these ingredients on the counter. I asked what he was doing, and he casually replied that he was making a salad dressing."

"I'm guessing you weren't sure what to think.", I laugh. "How was it?"

"After finally giving in, I tried it and loved it. It was delicious. There's a slight sweetness in it along with a smidge of tanginess."

"Huh. How did he come up with the recipe?" I push my salad away and start on my turkey sandwich.

"It was his grandmother's recipe. He used to stay at her house a lot during his summer break, and the dressing was one of her favorite things to make. She'd bottle it up and give it for friends and family."

"She sounds like a wonderful woman."

"From what Bryce has said, she was amazing. She passed away about a month after he graduated high school. Bryce said she hadn't been feeling well for some time, yet she got well enough to attend his graduation. Afterwards, her health started declining again. She died from a massive heart attack." April dabs the corners of her eyes with a napkin while clearing her throat.

"One thing I've learned is even though the person isn't here in spirit, they remain present through their memories.", I tell her.

"I know.", she sighs. "Have I told you how great you look?" It's clear the sudden change of subject is to lighten the mood. "You don't look like you just gave birth."

"Looks can be deceiving. I definitely feel like I've just given birth. It takes forever to sit down, something that was once simple."

"It'll get better."

* * *

"Was work as terrible as you imagined it would be?", I ask Christian who's looking at a book with Jamison while I hold Delaney.

"I've got to admit once I got in the office and started working it wasn't so bad. I had two back to back meetings along with a stack of messages to return."

"So keeping busy was a good thing.", I smile.

"It doesn't mean the three of you weren't on my mind because you were. It only means I wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

"It's a starting point. I had a nice lunch with April today. She wants Alex and Jamison to have a play date soon."

"Would you like that buddy?", Christian asks Jamison. "You want to have a play date with Alex?"

"Yeah.", Jamison grins.

"Charles called me earlier and said he's going to be moving some of Carol's things into his place this upcoming weekend. He asked if I might want to help, and I naturally said yes. Carol's been packing things in between her shifts at the diner. She's even already brought a few boxes over to his place. Even though they haven't been dating long, I see them going the distance."

"We were the same way and look where we are."

"In the best place in the world.", Christian grins ear to ear.


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"The lobby is going to be officially complete today. How about you come and see the finished product?" I slowly adjust Delaney in my arms while trying to not interrupt her feeding. Fortunately, she remains latched on to my breast without making a stir. Christian grins and sits down in the other rocking chair.

"I'd like that. It's supposed to be cooler today so I'll see if Nancy can watch the kids. The last thing I want is for them to get sick." He smiles but keeps his eyes on my breasts the entire time. "My face is a little higher up." Blushing, he finally looks me straight in the eye.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help it. Your breasts were already nice to look at, but there's something even more special about them now that you're feeding our daughter. I remember the first time you fed Jamison. It was a magical moment. There I go being all sappy."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with you being sappy. What time would you like for me to be at GEH?", I ask.

"I've got a meeting with the head of marketing at one. It's basically a meeting to touch base on things, and it should only last about an hour. Does two sound good?"

"Two is good. It'll give me time to give Jamison lunch and get him down for a nap and then do the same with Delaney. After I leave your office, I might do a quick shopping trip for a housewarming gift for Charles and Carol. I realize combining two apartments into one might mean they don't need anything, but I feel like getting them something. Any suggestions on what I could get them?" With Delaney finished eating, I start gently patting her on the back so I can get a burp. Christian shifts in his chair and observes her with a grin on his face. That grin widens when a fairly loud burp comes from Delaney. "What a burp."

"Our little princess certainly can let out some strong burps.", Christian smiles. "As for the gift, I haven't the slightest idea. I'm not good at choosing things for the house. If you'll recall, I completely messed up that day you had me buy a new can opener."

"You didn't mess up.", I giggle. "You just weren't sure which would be the best so you bought five different brands."

"I do know they don't need a need a coffee maker. Charles mentioned buying a new one a few weeks ago. You could always go the safe route by getting them a gift card. They can use it to buy whatever they might need."

"A gift card might be the best way to go."

* * *

"Tell me what you think but be honest. I don't want you to sugarcoat your feelings.", Christian says. When I arrived at GEH, Christian met me at Sawyer's SUV so he could lead me inside the newly renovated lobby. We walk a few more steps, we stop at the entrance where Christian opens the door and waves for me to enter. What I see is incredible. The lobby looks nothing like it used to. The walls are covered with portraits done in vibrant colors. The floor is a white marble. The highlight of the room is the fountain in the middle. The circular attraction is placed in the middle of the lobby and consists of three layers with water sprouting from each layer.

"Christian, this is amazing. I love it."

"Really? Because you don't have to hold back.", he murmurs as we stand in front of the fountain.

"I'm being serious. If the rest of the remodel is anything like this, the entire thing is going to be incredible."

"The lights are on in here now, but at night when the lobby is dark, the fountain will be lit. It has a sensor that reads when the lights are off and on."

"Cool.", I say while spotting Ros stepping off the elevator. She waves and heads over to where Christian and I are standing. "Hi Ros."

"Hi. Christian told me you were going to be stopping by around two so I thought I'd come and say hi and also see what you think of the lobby."

"The lobby is amazing, and of course the fountain is my favorite part of it. Are you pleased with it?"

"Beyond pleased. When we were first shown the sketches, I liked what was on the paper. However, there are times where things don't end up looking they you expect. That wasn't the case. Things ended up looking even better. I'm confident we're going to love the rest of the work just as much."

"I agree.", Christian smiles.

* * *

**C POV**

"More." Jamison is pouting while pointing to the bowl of steamed broccoli. I set my glass down and spoon more broccoli on to his plate. Before I can get the fork, he reaches for a piece of the vegetable with his hands and puts it in his mouth.

"Is that good?", Ana asks.

"Mmm.", Jamsion answers.

"I never thought I'd see a kid love broccoli so much.", I laugh. "Come to think of it, I never thought I'd see anyone love broccoli so much." Jamison allows me to help feed him just as Taylor walks through the side door. "Hey."

"I'm sorry for interrupting your dinner, but Sophie thinks she might have left her math book here. She has some homework that isn't due until Monday, yet she insists that she do it tonight."

"I can see why she might want to do that.", Ana says. Both Taylor and I turn to look at her. "I was the same way when I was in school. I thought getting my work done on Friday would be the best since it would allow me to concentrate on the weekend. Natalie, howevr, would wait unti as late as possible on Sunday to do hers."

"I told Sophie it's up to her when she does her work as long as she gets it done."

"I may have spotted her math book on the table by the door." Taylor walks over to the wooden table by the kitchen door and sure enough finds the math book. "She had it out earlier and was showing me some of the things her class is working on."

"The things they're working on now are things I didn't learn until high school.", Taylor scoffs. "It's kind of hard helping her when I have no idea what's what, and I was on the math team in school."

"No more.", Jamison says while shoving his plate away.

"Ok. You ate a pretty good amount of dinner.", I tell him as I glance over my shoulder at Taylor. "Don't think for a moment I'm not going to forget hearing you say you were on the math team."

"I'm not ashamed of it.", Taylor shrugs nonchalantly. "I was proud to be a part of the team."

"I'm surprised it didn't show up on Taylor's background check when you hired him.", Ana says.

* * *

"I appreciate you helping.", Charles says after we each set down a box of Carol's things. "Carol was going to help us today, but she offered to go in to work since Joan, one of the other waitresses, called in sick. Carol said we could try the moving thing again next weekend, but I thought we might as well go ahead and do it today. Besides, she was able to get a lot moved this past week.

"I don't mind at all. Ana and I didn't have anything planned for today."

"How are Ana and the kids?"

"They're good. She's spending the day reorganizing closets. I think Jamison's going to be attempting to help although he'll probably make it go a little longer than planned.", I say as I remember the envelope in my coat pocket. "That reminds me. I have something for you." I grab and hand him the envelope. "Ana mentioned getting you and Carold a gift, and I thought she was right even though we initially weren't sure what to get you." He smiles at the card without opening it.

"I'll wait until Carol's here so we can open it together, but I'm guessing it might be a gift card which is great. Thank you."

"I can neither confirm nor deny if your guess is right.", I chuckle. "Before we back downstairs for more stuff, I want you to know how I happy I am for you and Carol. Moving in together is a big step, but the two of you are ready for it."

"I know we are.", Christian smiles as my phone rings. My own smile grows when I see it's Ana calling.

"Hi baby."

"Hi. I realize you might be busy, but I was taking a break from reorganizing the closets and thought I'd call and tell you something." Ana'a tone is serious, alarming me.

"Ana, what's wrong? Tell me.", I plead.

"Nothing is wrong.", she giggles. "I was only calling to tell you I love you." Relief washes over me as I feel giddy inside.

"I. Love. You. Too."


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"These shoes don't go with this dress so I'm going to change.", Ana says for almost the twentieth time. She takes off her black heels and heads into the closet.

"I know what you're doing.", I tell her as I step inside the closet. "You're stalling." She shakes her head and continues sorting through shoes. "Yes you are."

"I'm trying to look nice. Is that suddenly a crime?", she snaps. I carefully move closer to her, wrapping my arms around her from behind. "I'm sorry. You're right. I am stalling." She and I are planning to have a date night, our first since Delaney's been born. It was my idea which Ana finally agreed to. Upon hearing our plans, Elliot and Spencer offered to watch the kids.

"Ana, do you not want to have a night out with me?" I'm trying to not feel wounded, but it's tough. She drops the pair of shoes in her hands and turns around to face me.

"That's not it. I'm just going to miss the kids and also because...", she stammers. "Our date night won't be capped with anything more than a kiss." Things are becoming more clear now. "We're still a few weeks away from being able to make love."

"I'm aware of that and am more than ok with it. All I want is for us to have some delicious food and talk. Ok?" Her eyes slowly move from the floor and on to me while her lips curl into a smile.

"Ok." I kiss her on the forehead and let her go back to choosing a pair of shoes. Surprisingly, it doesn't take her long to choose a pair, the first ones she had on.

"We were getting ready to send Jamison in search of you guys.", Spencer laughs when Ana and I finally make our way downstairs. Spencer's in the recliner and holding Delaney while Elliot and Jamison are on the sofa with their heads clued to Winnie the Pooh. Neither of them have noticed Ana and I are now in the room. "Elliot."

"Spencer, just a minute. Pooh's about to get his head stuck in the honey pot.", Elliot says.

"How many times have you watched this?", I ask him. He whirls his head around and shrugs. Ana lifts Delaney from Spencer's arms and brings the baby in front of me. "There's the little princess. Be good for your aunt and uncle tonight. Jamison, come here a second." At the mention of his namel, Jamison gets up and toddles over to me. "Uncle Elliot and Aunt Spencer are going to watch you while your mommy and I go out. We need you to be good for them. All right."

"Yeah.", he replies softly before holding his arms out for me. I pick him and kiss his right cheek and then his left. He moves his right hand out and touches Delaney's arm. "Baby stay."

"The baby's going to stay here too."

"We're going to miss you and your sister.", Ana tells Jamison. She kisses Jamison who starts giggling.

"Christian, Ana, don't worry. Spencer and I are going to take good care of the kids. We've always done well in the past with Jamison.", Elliot says.

"Now you're going to have two kids to take care of.", I say. "That's one plus one."

"I know how to count just how I know how to take care of two kids. I'm going to say it one last time, Jamison and Delaney are going to be fine."

"Elliot's right. We want you guys to go and have a nice dinner. We've got your numbers on speed dial and also the number to Canlis." She stands and reaches for Delaney who yawns in the most adorable way. "Come on sweet girl. Mommy and Daddy are going to dinner but will be back soon."

"Even though you said it was only going to be dinner, see a movie.", Elliot suggests. "The new Minion movie is out now. Spencer and I were considering asking if we could take Jamison one night next week." Spencer looks as if this is news to her. "Fine. I'm the one who wants to see the movie, but we'd love to take Jamison with us."

"We'll think about it.", Ana says. She and I kiss both kids a few more times before finally heading out the door.

* * *

"This salmon is incredible.", I say between bites of my smoked salmon. "How's your halibut?"

"Very delicious.", Ana replies. "Thank you for convincing me to come."

"You're most welcome." I set my fork down and reach across the table for her hand. "I don't think I've told you how beautiful you are tonight." Ana's wearing a deep red long sleeve dress and has her hair in loose curls. "I mean you look beautiful all the time...", I stammer. "You know what I mean."

"I do." We go back to our plates as I spot one of the last people I want to see, Roger Hardin. I haven't heard from him since I told him I wasn't hiring him for the GEH remodel, but seeing him heading in my direction isn't something I want. "This is so good." I try to smile but fail. "What's wrong?"

"Mr. Grey.", Roger Hardin smiles once he's at our table. Ana looks at me and then me.

"Mr. Hardin.", I nod, seeing recognition flicker in Ana's eyes. "Hello."

"Mrs. Grey I assume.", Hardin says to Ana. "My name is Roger Hardin. I was one of the candidates in the remodel at your husband's company."

"Hello.", Ana murmurs.

"I'm sure the remodel is well underway."

"It is. The lobby is complete, and work on the second floor has started. Things are running smoothly just as I had hoped.", I answer. "I can't wait for the rest of the building to come together." Hardin's face tightens as I smirk.

"Good, good. I'm glad to hear that. I've been keeping busy with various projects. Tonight is a very rare night out for me. I've had so much occupying me that I barely have time to eat or sleep. At least I'm doing what I love, and that's what matters." He glances over his shoulder and waves at a tall, leggy blonde in a black mini dress. "My date." His date sways back and forth on her heels like she's bored. "I should get back to her."

"All right. Have a good evening."

"Thank you. Mrs. Grey, it was a pleasure meeting you. Good night." Hardin saunters towards his waiting date and guides her out of the restaurant.

"So that was the infamous Roger Hardin.", Ana sighs. "I sensed the arrogance radiating off him. He seeems to not be very upset about not getting the remodeling job."

"Maybe. I couldn't help but feel that he was lying. I noticed when he was talking about being so busy that he wouldn't look me in the eye which is often a sign of lying. Tonight isn't about him. It's about us."

"Can I get you anything else? Some dessert perhaps?", the server asks after walking up to our table.

"I shouldn't, but the triple chocolate cake sounds yummy. Christian, do you want to share it with me?"

"I'd love to.", I reply. "We'll have the triple chocolate cake with two forks please. Oh, could you add some ice cream to the side?"

"Of course.", the server answers. She writes down the order and walks away from the table.

"Ice cream?", she asks. "You know the way to my heart."

* * *

**A POV**

"How did last night go?", Gail asks. We're watching Jamison and Riley playing in the living room while Delaney naps.

"It went well. Canlis has the best food. The only bad thing about the night was this guy Roger Hardin coming up to the table. He's one of the people who submitted his name for consideration of the remodeling. He tried to offer Christian gifts in exchange for getting the job. Christian naturally passed."

"What did he want when came to your table?"

"To say hi and ask how the remodeling is going. He claimed to be very busy with work, yet it seemed like he was putting on a show."

"Why can't people just be themselves? What's the point of pretending you're someone you're not or you have something you don't? It doesn't make sense."

"Different reasons.", Nancy answers from the doorway. "I'm sorry for interrupting. I was on my way in here to see if you wanted something to drink when I heard your comment."

"I don't want anything to drink.", Gail replies.

"Me either.", I say. "Nancy, come in and join us. There's nothing in the kitchen that can't wait until later." She moves from the doorway and over to one of the chairs. "You were saying about the pretending."

"People say or do those things for different reasons whether it's to make themselves look better to others or to feel better about themselves. When I was nineteen, I met a guy, Tom, at a club. He asked me to dance, and I agreed to one dance. Then one dance turned into several dances. At the end of the night, we traded numbers. Three days later, he called and asked me out. I was excited. He picked me up in a shiny red Corvette that he said he bought with money earned from his job. I asked what kind of job he had, and he'd only tell me it was in finance which he didn't want to bore me with the details of. I didn't push him. We dated for a few weeks, and it was great. I invited over to my new apartment, yet when I said I wanted to see his place, he'd stall. Finally, one day, he agreed. We went to his house which was huge. I literally could get lost in there. It seemed to be too big of a house for one guy. After he went to get us something to drink, I noticed a photo of a young woman and guy except it wasn't Tom. I started to brush it off, but when he came back in the room, he seemed mad, not at me but at himself."

"Why?", Gail asks as Jamison stops playing and climbs into my lap.

"He said he couldn't hide the truth any longer. The house belonged to a family friend who was out of town. Tom was house sitting for him. The car didn't belong to him either. It was his uncle's. Instead of working in finance, he worked as a janitor. I was stunned that he had lied so much. It wasn't that I was upset about him not being wealthy like he claimed. It was the dishonesty aspect I was mad about. If he had just been honest with me, things could have worked out."

"What happened next?"

"We ended things."

"That sucks.", I sigh.

"Being yourself and being honest are two of the biggest life lessons I can ever give someone.", Nancy says.

* * *

"Ana, I've got some unbelievable news.", Christian says as he steps out of his study where he's been doing some work following dinner.

"Do tell." I pat the cushion next to me on the sofa. He strides across the floor and sits down. "Spill."

"Do you remember the woman we saw with Roger Hardin last night?"

"Yeah. Don't tell me she's after you.", I murmur.

"Not even close. She was a prostitute. I just got a call from my dad who informed me that Roger Hardin was arrested this afternoon. It seems contracting wasn't his only job. He was also running a prostitution ring."

"You're kidding me."

"I'm not. Apparently, he's been under surveilance for a while. When he said he's been keeping busy, I thought he was lying. It seems he may have been telling the truth. I'm in shock."

"The guy seemed odd. Now I see why.", I say.


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"Jamison is so cute watching over Delaney.", Mary says while we observe Jamison who's guarding Delaney's carrier where she's asleep. The kids and I along with Bryce and Sawyer came to the diner for lunch and to visit with Mary.

"Last night Christian started walking towards her swing, and Jamison told him, "Don't wake baby.", I laugh softly while picking up an onion ring. "You've certainly got a large lunch crowd today." From her side of the table, Mary scans the diner and smiles. Candace and Carol are both tending to tables but both manage to wave over at us. "Are a lot of the old regulars still coming in?"

"For the most part although we've lost a few. Mr. Manning who used to sit at the front corner table moved to Portland where his daughter lives. I could see he had a difficult time deciding whether he should stay or move, but in the end, I think he made the right choice. He's been lonely since his wife died a few years ago."

"I remember how he was usually the first person here for breakfast.", I say. "He'd get the same thing, wheat toast and two egg cooked sunny side up. Then one morning he came in and said he was going to order waffles. I was shocked but started towards the kitchen with his order until he yelled for me to come back. It was then that he said he was kidding. It occured to me it was April Fool's Day."

"I think the rush is slowing down.", Candace sighs. She places her order pad in the pocket of her apron and goes behind the counter for a stack of napkins which she starts placing in the dispensers on the counter. Carol finishes with a table and heads towards our table.

"Candace, do you want to go on break first?", Carol asks.

"You can go."

"Are you sure? You know who might come in during his regular time." I tear apart some of my grilled cheese and break it up for Jamison.

"Tank you.", he grins.

"You're welcome. Who is this mystery person?", I ask Candace.

"Just a customer.", Candace mutters.

"Not just a customer.", Carol giggles. "It's a guy, a cute one I might add. He comes in every day at one. I wait on him when Candace isn't here, but it's always fun to watch her when she does wait on him."

"Carol claims I turn as red as the ketchup in that bottle. Just because I think he's an attractive guy who makes me have impure thoughts doesn't mean anything. Besides, it's not like anything will come of it. He's a customer."

"Ana, didn't you marry one of your customers?", Bryce smirks.

"Why yes I did. Candace, do you know what the mystery guy's name is?", I ask.

"It's Dylan Hendrix. I only know that because it's the name that's on the credit card he pays with."

"The card could be stolen.", Sawyer says before shoving the rest of his burger in his mouth.

"You're not helping her.", Carol says. "If I go on break first, it'll mean Candace will be gone when he comes in. Again Candace, I ask, do you want to go on break first?" All eyes go to Candace who looks at the front door and then the clock.

"Fine. I'll go first, but only because I didn't have breakfast this morning. Mary, I'm going on break."

"Ok.", Mary laughs. "See you in an hour. Ana, I've got to get back to work, but thank you for coming by. It's been good seeing you and the guys."

"We've had a nice time. Haven't we Jamison?"

"Yeah.", he answers.

"As much as I'd like to stay around and see Candace blush profusely, I need to be going to." I stand and look down at Delaney who's now wide awake. "Hi there baby girl. Did you have a nice nap? Come on Jamison."

* * *

"Where Dada?", Jamison asks me. He walks around the living room, even pulling back the curtains in search of Christian.

"Your dad's still at work and isn't going to be home until late." Christian told me this morning he had clients in town from New York, thus he might have a late day at the office. He called about an hour ago and said not to wait up for him. Jamison's lips curl into a pout, making me think he might be about to cry, but he runs back to his toys instead.

"Look who I found outside.", Sawyer says when he walks inside the house. Candace follows him with a huge grin on her face. "She wouldn't tell me why she's grinning like a loon."

"I'll tell Ana.", Candace scoffed. "I finished my shift at the diner but thought I'd swing by here to tell you what happened after you left."

"Oh.", I grin. "Have a seat and tell me." She sets her purse down and settle on to the love seat while Jamison runs over to Sawyer.

"Ana, can I get Jamison a snack?", Sawyer asks.

"Sure." Sawyer loops his hand with Jamison and together they pad into the kitchen. "Candace, start talking."

"At one on the dot, Dylan Hendrix came into the diner. It started off like any other day I've waited on him, but things changed when he got ready to leave. He grabbed a napkin and wrote down his number which he then gave to me. He said he'd like for me to call him."

"Please tell me you're going to call him."

"I told him I'd probably call him although my probably is actually a yes. It was weired though. Today was the first time we've had a conversation that didn't involve what he wanted to order, and it felt natural. I was nervous but not as much as I thought I'd be. It could be a sign it's meant to be."

"It just might be."

* * *

**C POV**

"There's my beautiful wife.", I grin as Ana walks into the kitchen where I'm feeding Jamison his breakfast. On the other side of me is Delaney who's seated in her seat.

"When I woke up, I noticed Delaney wasn't in her bassinet which told me you had her downstairs with you. I then noticed the same thing when I went to look in on Jamison.", Ana says as she grabs a plate and places a few pieces of bacon and toast on it. She sits down and takes the cup of tea Nancy hands her. "Thank you."

"I got up and gave Delaney a bottle from the milk you had pumped. I then went and got Mr. Jamison who was wide awake. I apologized to both of them for not being here last night."

"They understood their dad had to work late."

"Even so, I'm sorry to all three of you. As much as I tell myself I'm going to work less, things come up and derail my plans."

"Christian, it's fine. How did things go with the New York clients?", Ana asks. The CEO of the McGregor Corporation, Wesley McGregor, and two of his employees are in Seattle to discuss GEH possibly taking over one of McGregor's subsidary companies which is located here in Seattle.

"It went ok. We've still got some numbers to crunch and details to work out. McGregor owns a few other companies around the country. He thought he could manage all of them, keeping them profitable, but he got in over his head. I'm hoping GEH taking over the Seattle company will help."

"What about the other companies?"

"If this deal goes well, I'm considering at least partnering with him on the others. The last thing either of us want is people to lose their jobs. I've already told him I'll do what I can to help." As Ana goes back to eating her breakfast, Taylor walks in with the newspaper in his hand. I immediately see a front page article on Roger Hardin's arrest. Learning the contractor was operating a prostitution ring was very surprising news. "More going on in Hardin's case?", I ask Taylor.

"The police seized Hardin's files and discovered names of people who enlisted his services. Some of the names were high profile people. Keith Ridings, a circuit court judge, was one among them along with Darren Peterson who owns a few five star restaurants around the city."

"Goodness.", Ana sighs. "Has anything been mentioned in regards to why Harding started the business?"

"No. Maybe he wanted something to fall back on.", Taylor shrugs. "I'm going to run back to the house for a few minutes so I can see Sophie before Gail takes her to school."

"Please tell Sophie I'm sorry for making you late last night.", I tell Taylor.

"I've already apologized. She said it's fine but would like for me to be home early tonight if possible. It's her first dance class, and she wants me to be there."

"I almost forgot you signed her up for dance class. Is she excited?"

"Very. She took some classes when she lived with her mom and hopes she can get back into the groove of it."

"She will."

* * *

"Your dad is here to see you.", Andrea says as she holds the door open for my dad to enter my office. I stand and walk around my desk to hug him.

"Hey Dad."

"Hi son. I was in the area and thought I'd stop by to see you. I told Andrea I wouldn't bother you if you were busy, but she said you had some free time."

"I certainly do. Have a seat.", I say, sitting back down. "How are you?"

"I'm great. I was scheduled to be in court most of the day, but a last minute plea deal changed things. I'm assuming you've been reading about Roger Hardin's arrest."

"Yeah. It seems more and more shocking things come out every day. Apparently he had some big name clients. One was even a cicuit court judge."

"Keith Ridings.", my dad nods. "He's been on the bench around twenty years. I've been in his courtroom a few times, and he always did things by the book. He kept things orderly."

"And yet he was with a prostitute. It's not exactly a good thing."

"Why exactly he hired a prostitute is a question only he knows the answer to. I do know his wife left him a year ago. He came home one day and found her packing her things. She said she had fallen out of love with him. The ink on their divorce papers was barely dry when his wife married another guy who she started dating when she was still married to Ridings."

"The other guy is what helped her fall out of love with her husband.", I murmur, feeling a little sad for Keith Ridings who I've never met.

"She was a member of your mother's garden club and told the other members she fell out of love with her husband first. The other guy, Michael, came into her life and awakened her. She said he made her more alive. I just know I could never fall out of love with your mom. She and I haven't always had a perfect marriage, but we're dedicated to each other and making things work. She's my better half, and I wouldn't want anyone else standing by me."

"What you just said is exactly how I feel about Ana. She and I have had our ups and downs, yet we always manage to come out on the other side." My dad leans back in his chair and grins. "What's with the grin?"

"I was just thinking how lucky we are to have such amazing wives."

"We did good.", I smile.


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"This Dada." I turn to see Jamison holding up a red and black plaid shirt, the same red and black plaid shirt that was on the teddy bear he got the other day at Build-A-Bear. "Baby wear this." With Ana downstairs, I told her I'd get Delaney dressed which Jamison wanted to help with.

"I'm not sure that'll fit your sister.", I tell him, instantly getting a scowl. Delaney's looking confused from the changing table where she's laying. "I suppose I can try and put it on her." I take the shirt and gently see if it'll fit Delaney. To my surprise the shirt not only goes on her but also buttons up. "Well, how about that."

"Cute.", Jamison coos. I decide to leave the shirt on Delaney and put a pair of jeans on her. Small pink bows hang from the front pockets.

"Let's go downstairs and see your mommy." I secure Delaney in my hold while taking Jamison's hand and helping him down the stairs. We ease through the living room and into the kitchen where Ana's in a conversation with Gail.

"I'm glad to hear Sophie's first dance class went well.", Ana says before looking at me and the kids. "Delaney's shirt looks familiar. Where have I seen it before?" Ana taps her chin and grins.

"My bear.", Jamison says. He lets go of my hand and runs over to his mom.

"Ah. You're right. It's from your teddy bear. Thank you for sharing with your sister." She winks at me. "Nancy called and said she's running late. Her car wouldn't start. She's going to watch the kids today while I go and get a much needed hair cut. Mia's going to tag along, and we're going to stop by to see Spencer on her lunch break."

"I hope you girls have fun.", I smile, seeing Gail and Taylor consumed in conversation. "Speaking of fun, you and I will be having some next week." Next week is when Ana and I will be able to make love again. She takes Delaney from me and nods at Jamison. "You don't think he knows what I'm talking about, do you?"

"Maybe or maybe not. It's not a chance I'm willing to take."

* * *

"The owner of the adjacent property has voiced that he'd consider selling his land if the price is right.", Ros says. I'm pull on my tie and blow out a breath. "Is that the sound of frustration?"

"I'm just mentally recalling the day we met the owner of the other property." We're currently considering building a research lab on the outskirts of the city. The land that's been looked at is large but not as expansive as we'd like, thus us wanting to buy the land next to it. "It was the same day we toured the land. Laurence Matheny, the owner of the other land, came over and started talking about how he'd like to be free of the land. It was only a hassle according to him."

"I remember that, yet it now seems his hassle has a high price tag on it. He's wanting a fairly large sum of money." Ros reaches across her desk for a piece of paper which she begins writing on. She then slides the paper over to me. "His request." In my line of work, I'm used to high numbers, but the numbers in front of me are unbelievable.

"He wants ten million dollars for a few acres of land?", I scoff.

"Six acres to be exact. He feels it's more than adequate.", Ros says. "I feel it's crazy."

"Crazy doesn't even begin to describe it. If the land was in a prime real estate area, I'd understand wanting a decent amount for it, but it's not. We're wanting to build the lab in the area because it's in the middle of nowhere."

"I told him over the phone I thought his number was too high. He responded by telling me he has another person interested in the land. He might have been telling the truth, yet I sense he was only trying to get us to scare us."

"What if he does sell it to someone else? Whoever buys the land could be a neighbor from hell, a chance I'm not sure I'd like to take." I move the paper back over to Ros and stand from my chair.

"There's always the option of looking for land in another area. The one we've been interested in isn't the only remote place around here. We can look at other places."

"I'll think about it."

"You do that, and keep me updated with what you decide." I nod and start on my way out the door but turn back around.

"When are you planning on leaving for your vacation to Cancun?", I ask Ros.

"Next week, but I can reschedule if you'd like."

"You're not rescheduling. I can handle the office just like you've done when I've been gone. You've worked so much, and now it's time for you to take a break and rest. You deserve it."

"Fine. I'll go and sit on the beach and have drinks with little umbrellas in them.", Ros giggles. "It might be hard, but I'll try to have fun."

* * *

**A POV**

"How's married life going for you?", I ask Mia as we're sitting in our chairs at Vogue Salon.

"It's going good.", she shrugs, keeping her eyes on the mirror in front of her.

"Just good?"

"It's better than good, but I don't want to become too excited since she...", she slightly nods at her stylist, "has a pair of scissors in her hands. It wouldn't be good if I ended up bald."

"I wouldn't let that happen.", Hilary, Mia's stylist says. "I think it's great your new marriage is off to a wonderful start. I remember you coming in here the week before the wedding. You weren't the least bit nervous."

"I stayed that way on my wedding day as well. The only downside is now that we're back from our honeymoon our time together has been limited. Ben's been working extra hours at the hospital. We've been fortunate to have breakfast together in the mornings, but dinner has been out of question this past week. No matter how hard I try to stay awake until he gets home I always seem to fall asleep."

"I'm sure Ben understands.", I say.

"He does.", Mia sighs. "He's such a sweetheart. During the day, he'll send me texts telling me he loves me or sometimes with only hearts. I'll send them back. He says those texts are the perfect thing for bad days in the hospital."

"I'd imagine so.", Lori, my stylist says as she shapes my hair. "My dad works in an ER in Dallas. He's been doing it for forty years and is showing no signs of stopping. He's seen some terrible things pass through, yet he's said time and time again seeing the faces of his loved ones is the perfect counter." Both stylists finish their work. "What do you think?"

"I like it.", I reply, running my hands through my hair which is only a few inches shorter but now has layers. Mia's hair is the same length, but she's now sporting bangs. "Wow. Mia, your hair looks great."

"You think so? I've been considering bangs for a while and thought why not go for it."

"You made a good decision."

* * *

"I wanted to do something special for Elliot last night so I made him dinner.", Spencer says. She and I along with Mia are having lunch at Salumi. The grin on her face is questionable.

"Making dinner for your guy is a nice way of showing him how much you care.", I say. "What did you make him?"

"Elliot likes chicken nuggets and fries so I thought I'd make them for him and serve them in a different way."

"In a different kind of plate than you normally use?", Mia asks, taking a bite of her turkey sandwich.

"Um...well, there weren't any plates used."

"You just ate them free style, without a plate?"

"Free style, an interesting set of words.", Spencer says.

"Spencer, just go ahead and tell us.", I murmur.

"Have you guys seen the Sex and the City movie?", Spencer asks as Mia and I nod. "Remember how Samantha placed sushi on her naked body with the plan of having Smith, her boyfriend, eat it off her." The realization of how Elliot had his dinner hits both Mia and I at the same time. I push my plate away and groan.

"I've lost my appetite.", I joke.

"Me too.", Mia grimaces. "I don't want to hear about my brother..." She shakes her head several times and continues. "Doing that."

"I won't give any more details, but I will say Elliot cleaned his "plate."

"Ewww.", I say.

"It was a way to keep things interesting, and it was a success."


	44. Chapter 44

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"Close your eyes.", I hear Christian whisper in my ear. I'm about to turn around in my chair when he places his hands on my shoulder. "Don't turn around. Please cooperate."

"Fine.", I sigh, closing my eyes. I feel Christian ease around my chair. "Can I open them please? Please. Please. Please."

"You sound like Jamison did the other day when he wanted some banana pudding. You can open your eyes." My eyes flutter open to find Christian standing next to me with a single long stem red rose in his hand.

"Is that for me?"

"It is.", he smiles as he hands the rose to me. "Tonight's the night. Of course we can do it another night if you'd like." I have the all clear from the doctor to resume sexual activity with Christian, and we're going to take advantage of it tonight. I set the rose down on the kitchen table and grab hold of Christian's tie, pulling him towards me.

"I want tonight to be the tonight. Don't you?"

"Baby, I do. I really do."

"Good." I let go of him and allow him to stand back up. "Do you know the general time frame you're going to be home?"

"It shouldn't be too late. Ros and I are going to look at some areas of lands in hopes one of them might be the perfect place to build the research lab. I'm sure we'll find the right one, but the searching is going to be tedious. I thought the other space was the right one, yet that changed when the owner of the neighboring land wanted way too much for his property."

"You were right when you said you'd find the perfect place.", I say as I stand and grab a vase from one of the cabinets. "It might take time, but you'll get there."

"Yeah.", he mutters. "Between that and the remodel, I feel like I may have taken on more than I can chew."

"If so, then maybe you should take a step back and relax."

"I can't quit especially with the remodel. Although there's still a lot to do, a lot of headway has been made. In regards to the lab, it's something I've been considering for a while, however this is the first time I've actually gotten to the point of looking for a place to build. I can't back down now that there's been movement."

"I'm hearing what you're saying, but I also want you to see that you're not alone in anything. You have Ros and a company full of more than capable people who can help. Plus, you've got the support of your family and friends. My work in the corporate world is well...nonexistent, but I can still help in any needed."

"I'll make sure to accept help.", he says. "A certain person taught me to not tackle everything on my own." I feel a blush spread across my face as he flashes a heart stopping grin.

* * *

"How were your classes today?", I ask Candace and Maxie. The two of them stopped by the house after finishing their classes for the day.

"Not bad except for the ten chapters of reading we have to do.", Maxie answers as she helps Jamison on to the sofa where she's seated.

"I told her ten chapters isn't terrible.", Candace says.

"It is when we have to also make an outline and report of those ten chapters."

"It's not too due until next week, meaning you have plenty of time to get it done."

"Cooper and I are planning on going away this upcoming weekend so I won't be able to get the work done then.", Maxie sighs.

"You should do it before you go.", I tell her. "Or you could work on it some this weekend." Candace turns her head in my direction and growls. "It was merely a suggestion."

"It was a good suggestion although I'd rather focus on Cooper more this weekend. I believe I'll take the suggestion of doing it before I go. I might need to stock up on the coffee."

"You're doing the best thing in my opionion.", Candace tells Maxie. "I'm actually going to do my work earlier as well. That way I'll be able to fully take advantage of my weekend." I stand and pick a fussy Delaney from her swing while wondering if Candace's weekend plans include a date.

"Could it be that you have a date with a particular customer from the diner?", I ask.

"We've made plans to meet up for lunch on Saturday. We haven't decided on where yet, but we've set the time for one. We're also going to be meeting at the restaurant instead of him picking me up. It's not that I don't want him seeing my place because it's clean, very clean. I'd be more comfortable meeting at the place."

"I don't see anything wrong with that.", Maxie says. "I am glad you haven't backed out."

"Were you thinking about backing out?", I ask Candace. Jamison grabs one of the pillows from the sofa and tosses it to the floor. "Jamison, don't throw the pillows."

"Tay.", he giggles.

"Candace, don't think I let that distract me from getting an answer to my question."

"Darn. I suppose I'll answer your question. I got a little nervous. It was a brief bump, and I'm now determined to at least give Dylan a chance."

* * *

**C POV**

"It seems he's slowing down.", Ros says, nodding towards the car in front of us. Our SUV is following Alan Hamilton, a realtor who's showing us possible areas of land for the research lab. Hamilton parks his Lexus as Taylor parks behind him. We step out and start walking towards the realtor.

"This spot was cleared out recently. It was being looked at by a steel company that was wanting to build."

"What happened?", I ask.

"Their funding wasn't there. I realize I told you the last spot I showed you was the perfect one, but this is the one for you. I can feel it."

"Did you use to sell cars in a past life?", Ros jokes. "This area isn't sitting down low like the last one so we won't have to worry about water being issue."

"And it's in the middle of nowhere." I begin walking around the land. "Christian, what do you think?"

"It's nice. How far does this particular area extend?"

"All the way to that row of trees over there.", Hamilton replies while pointing to a row of trees a considerable distance away. "The neighboring land is also for sell if you might want to buy it as well."

"It could be an option.", I say as I hear a text message come through my phone. "Excuse me." I glance down at my phone screen and see a message from Ana.

***Cant wait until tonight.***

My pants tighten at the four words. I try to hide my excitment while texting her back.

***Me either. It's going to be great.***

I put my phone away and try to refocus on business.

"While I do like this spot, I'm not ready to say yes, at least not yet. It's a big decision, and I'd like to take a few days to think it over."

"Of course. I'm here to serve you the best way I can which means I want you to get the best."

"Thank you."

* * *

"Delaney seems to like being in her nursery.", Ana says. We've just walked into our bedroom after doing one more check on the kids.

"It's a nursery fit for a princess. Of course she's going to like it.", I grin.

"I'm going to get ready for bed." My stunning wife winks at me on her way into the bathroom. While she's gone, I strip out of my clothes and stay in nothing more than my boxers. I scramble for the rose petals I hid in a box underneath the bed. I drop the petals around the room until it's covered. When Ana emerges from the bathroom, she's wearing a soft pink silk robe that stops just above her knees. Her eyes widen and start filling with tears once she sees the rose petals. "Christian, this is beautiful."

Ana slowly starts moving the silk robe from her body, letting it fall to the floor. She looks up through her lashes and smiles shyly. I pad over to her and run my hands over her bare arms.

"You're more beautiful.", I whisper before kissing the side of her neck. Her hand goes to the waist band of my boxers. "I'm so hard for you." She eases her her hand downward, cupping it over my burgeoning cock. I close the gap between us even more and bend down, kissing her stomach before gliding her panties down. My tongue laps around the wetness of her clit.

"Christian.", she moans. I look up to find her head rolling back and her eyes closed. I hear her growl when I stop and raise back up.

"I have other plans.", I smirk as I pick her up and walk us over to the bed where I ease her on to the mattress. She raises up on her elbows and bites her lips. "You're being impatient."

"So?", she giggles. I let out a low chuckle and slowly remove my boxers. I run my hand over my throbbing cock. "I want you in me."

"Do you now? That might be arranged." I climb on to the bed and kiss her with ferocity. With our lips still intact, I move my hands down and spread her legs apart. I feel Ana's smile against my lips. Our kiss ends yet she tries to pull me closer. "I supppose we've both waited long enough." With that, I slam into her, hearing her groan. I pull out and thrust back in, going deeper. Ana meets each thrust. I stop for a second and bring her legs up over my shoulders before resuming.

"Oh.", she says. "I'm getting close."

"Me too.", I moan. I look down into Ana's eyes while watching her give in to her orgasm. Just that sight brings mine on as I spill into her.

"Damn.", she laughs.

"You can say that again."

"Actually, I'd like to do what we just did again."


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"Ana, baby." I moan in pleasure as I watch Ana's head bobbing up and down while sucking on my cock. Instead of my usual alarm clock, this was the way I was woken up this morning. Ana's lips are wrapped around me like a vine as she continues sucking me. "Oh shit. I'm about to come." She refrains from moving away and swallows every bit of the salty fluid. After unlatching her mouth from me, she looks up and grins mischievously. "You're a naughty, naughty woman."

"Never said I wasn't.", she smirks. Both of us get off the bed and head to the bathroom to clean up and start getting ready for the day ahead.

Once we're clean and dressed, we go to look in on the kids. Jamison is wide awake in his bed and smiling. I pick him up and try hug him, but he seems more set on getting down. His feet have barely touched the floor when he starts rushing out of the room and towards Delaney's nursery.

"Get sister.", he says.

"We're going to see your sister.", I laugh softly. "Be quiet though. She might still be sleeping." My words are meaningless when I see that Delaney is aleady awake. "Hi there baby girl." Ana moves past me and takes Delaney out of the crib.

"We're going to get you a fresh diaper.", Ana tells Delaney as she takes her to the changing table and starts changing her.

"Poo poo.", Jamison laughs. "Dada, eat."

"You boys can go ahead and get started with breakfast. I'm going to nurse Delaney and will be downstairs when I'm done."

"Do you need some help?", I ask.

"I've got it under control.", she answers as Jamison reaches for my hand. "You'd better go."

* * *

"Here's your breakfast.", Nancy says. She places my plate in front of me while I continue helping Jamison with his breakfast although he's mostly feeding himself.

"Thank you. Nancy, has Taylor been in the house yet this morning?"

"I haven't seen him which is odd since he's usually here by now." I bring my coffee to my mouth and stare at the side kitchen door that Taylor always uses, but I see no sign of him. "I haven't seen or heard from Gail although she's sometimes late."

"Good morning Nancy.", Ana sings upon her entry in the kitchen. Ana sets Delaney in her swing which is already placed across from the table. She then sits down and takes the plate of scrambled eggsgiven to her by Nancy. "Just what I wanted. Thank you."

"How did Nancy know what you wanted for breakfast?", I ask Ana.

"She texted me when I was upstairs. Where's Taylor?"

"I'm wondering the same thing." I grab my phone from my pocket, but before I can dial Taylor's number, Gail walks through the side door. "Gail, I was about to call Taylor to see where he was."

"He's in bed...sick.", she sighs. "He was up sick most of the night. When he woke up this morning, he said he was going to work despite still not feeling well. I practically had to force him to go back to bed. He wanted to call and tell you, but I said I'd do it. I then got busy getting breakfast ready for the kids. Sophie's watching Riley until I can get back to the house, and then I'm going to drive her to school. I'm going to come back home and make sure to keep Jason isolated from the kids."

"Poor Taylor.", Ana murmurs. "I'd be happy to watch Riley today for you. It'll allow you to get some rest yourself."

"I appreciate your offer, but my sister is going to pick up Riley in about an hour. It's been a while since they've have a day with just them. Christian, Jason wanted me to tell you how sorry he is for not being able to work."

"His health and well being takes precedent over his job.", I say. "I'll have Ryan take over for Taylor for today."

"Sawyer or Bryce could do it.", Ana suggests.

"Sawyer and Bryce are going to stay with you and the kids."

"It sounds like you've got it figured out.", Gail says. "I'm going to get back to the patient, but I'll keep you posted."

"If you guys need anything, call us.", I tell Gail before she opens the door and leaves.

"Where's Taylor?", Sawyer asks as he and Bryce stride into the room. He takes a chunk out of his apple and scans the room.

"He's sick.", Ana replies while going back to her breakfast. Sawyer and Bryce look at each other in shock.

"Jason Taylor doesn't get sick.", Bryce says. "He's like a robot who has this ultra immune system. I honestly don't think I've ever seen him sneeze or cough."

"I think you might be on to something.", Sawyer nods. "He could be an alien or simply the biggest bad a.." Before he can finish his sentence, he stops. "Well, you get the idea."

"Gail said he's been sick since last night and is staying in bed although she had to twist his arm.", I say, glancing at Delaney who's staring at Jamsison. "Will one of you go and get Ryan for me? I'm going to have him take Taylor's spot for the day." Both of them give me a thumbs up and dart out of the room. "I only needed one of them to do it." I push back my chair and stand. "I'm going to go and wait on Ryan, and then I'm going to head to the office."

"We'll miss you today.", Ana smiles.

* * *

"Ladies, good morning.", I tell April and Andrea who hands my messages to me.

"Good morning.", Andrea says.

"Morning.", April chimes. "I couldn't help but notice Uncle Jason's not with you." Taylor always accompanies me upstairs in the morning, setting up at his post by my office.

"Unfortunately, he's out sick today. Ryan's covering for him."

"Man. I can't recall a time where he's been sick."

"That seems to be a common theme.", I laugh. I open my door and start to walk inside the office when I hear Ros calling my name. "Ros, I was going to get settled in and then go see you."

"I've saved you a trip.", she shrugs and she sits down across from my desk. I sit down and grab the file I've started for the research lab land search. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say you've decided to go with the last property Alan Hamilton showed us."

"I've been going over it in my head, and I really do like the location of it. I can visualize the lab being there. What about you?"

"I think it's a great place. Of course I thought it was great when he showed us, but I didn't want to come off as being too eager. When do you plan on calling him?"

"This afternoon. Ros, we're going to be in for a long road, however, I truly believe we're going to be better than ever once the remodel is complete and the lab is up and running.", I say, feeling a smile forming.

* * *

**A POV**

"I'm glad you're here, but I want to apologize in advance for my place being messy.", Candace says while stepping away from the door of her apartment. With Delaney's carrier in one hand and Jamison holding the other, I pad inside the apartment which is anything but messy. "See what I mean."

"Uh...no. Candace, your place is immaculate.", I assure her.

"If you say so. Jamison, is my place clean?

"Uh huh.", he answers.

"Have a seat.", she tells us. I take Delaney out of her carrier and sit down on the sofa where Jamison has already made himself comfortable. "Are Sawyer and Bryce with you?"

"You know the answer to that question is yes.", I giggle. "They're outside. Do you have to work at the diner today?"

"Nope. Today is a free day. I don't have any classes, and I have the entire day off from work. Mary told me yesterday she might need me to come in for a few hours, but she called earlier and said Carol's going to do it since I worked for her one day last week."

"One of my favorite things when I worked about the diner was how everyone was always there for one another. It's a family."

"Ana, that's one of my favorite things about the diner as well. It's a great place to work. Not only are the employees like family, but the customers are as well."

"I'm glad you brought up the customer part.", I smirk. "I've been wanting to ask you about your date with a certain customer."

"My date with Dylan went well. We met at Chuck's Grill and had a nice time getting to know each other. He works as a loan officer at a bank. His hobbies include gardening and playing the guitar. He and some friends get together whenever possible and play. They even do shows around Seattle. Dylan asked if I might be interested in watching one."

"And you said?"

"I said I'd like to. I like him. He's smart and sweet and also funny. The bottom line is I enjoyed spending that time with him and would like to spend even more time with him."

"It's a good thing you changed your mind and went. I was once very guarded, but I gave in and let my guard down. Was I terrified? Oh yeah. I still went ahead and went out with him. The rest is history."

"You're talking about Christian, right?", she asks.

"I am." I look down at Delaney and over at Jamison. "He helped create these two angels so I'm very glad I went out with him."

"My dating track record isn't the best in the world. I've dated guys who I thought could be the guy for me, yet something always happened. I'd be left wondering why I even bothered. I've come to see that I need to keep taking chances."

"That's the only way you'll ever know for sure."

* * *

"I called Gail earlier to see how Taylor was feeling.", Christian says, leaning against the kitchen counter. "She said he's in bed all day and is still pretty weak. He was able to eat some soup and has been drinking ginger ale. I told her that he should take tomorrow off as well. He must have heard her on the phone because I could hear him asking if it was me. She then gave the phone to him. I relayed that I thought he should take tomorrow off."

"Did he say no?"

"He actually said ok. He admitted that he's still not a hundred percent and doesn't want to return until he is." I take a drink from my bottle of water and giggle as Christian swipes it from my hand and takes his own drink. "Sorry. I was a tad thirsty."

"You just wanted to put your lips where mine had been.", I tease. He sets the bottle down and stalks towards me.

"If that were true, I would have just done this." He grabs my arms and pulls me into you, crashing our lips together. My hands grip his shoulders to prevent me from falling. When we break apart, it takes both of us a while to gather ourselves. "But like I said, I was a little thirsty."

"Yeah right.", I giggle.


	46. Chapter 46

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"Look who's back.", Christian says with the biggest grin on his face after Taylor opens the kitchen side door. Taylor lingers in the doorway for a few seconds before closing the door behind him.

"Hi. How are you feeling?", I ask him as I make sure Jamison's not making a mess out with his breakfast.

"I'm still feeling a little weak but much better than I was.", he murmurs, taking a cup of coffee handed to him by Nancy. "Thank you. If I never get sick again, I won't complain. I got home the other evening and started feeling a little icky, but I thought it would pass. Gradually, the icky feeling started getting worse. I really wanted to work, yet Gail convinced me I needed to stay in bed and get rest."

"Gail did the right thing. As much as you might have wanted to be here, your health is more important."

"I heard Ryan covered for me. How did he do?", Taylor asks. He takes a sip of his coffee and hops on to one of the breakfast bar's stools.

"He did ok.", Christian replies. "He's been trained to handle things in the event of having to step up and take on a bigger role. With that being said, he's not you, and I'm glad you're back. We missed you."

"I missed you all too."

"Am I seeing things or is the one and only Jason Taylor sitting at the breakfast bar?", Sawyer jokes. Rubbing his chin, he stares at Taylor. "Hmm. It certainly looks like him."

"Hello Sawyer.", Taylor laughs.

"And it certainly sounds like him. Yep. It's him. How are you man?"

"I'm better, and you probably are as well." Sawyer cocks his head in confusion. "I heard a rumor you missed me so much you were in tears." Christian almost gets chocked on his toast from laughing so hard. A worried Jamison glances at him.

"Daddy's fine. I was laughing at Mr. Taylor being silly.", Christian says.

"Silly.", Jamison repeats while grinning at Taylor.

"Looking at Jamison's grinning face makes me think of the worst thing about being sick...not being able to spend time with the kids and Gail like I normally do. Sure Gail was taking care of me, but it wasnt exactly the quality time I like. Neither of us wanted Sophie and Riley to get sick so they stayed away from me. Both of them gave me the biggest hugs. It was the best feeling. Now I'm ready to tackle the day ahead."

"Good because I've got a busy day ahead.", Christian replies. He stands and kisses Jamison and then me. "Since the little princess is still sleeping, I'm going to quietly slip into the nursery to kiss her goodbye."

* * *

"Ben and I are considering moving.", Mia announces. She's sitting across from me at the table in Carrick and Grace's kitchen. Grace, having the day off from work, invited me and I along with the kids over for lunch. Spencer was also invited but couldn't make it due to work.

"Oh?", Grace asks. She places a lemon in her glass of water and picks up her fork but doesn't take a bite of her salad. "How long have you been thinking about it?"

"A couple of weeks. We feel with us being married and in a new phase of our lives we should move into a new house."

"Is there a particular area you're wanting to move to?", I ask her.

"Not really. One definite is it has to be in a good neighborhood. We also want it to be a decent size house."

"Meaning you want it to be big enough for kids.", Grace says. Mia avoid eye contact with Grace, instead looking over at Jamison who's sitting in his high chair. His eyes are on Delaney who's resting in her carrier. "Mia, I know you heard me."

"Yes I did. It's true Ben and I want a home large enough to raise a family. However, we're not going to be having kids any time soon. We're enjoying it just being us, and that's been rare thanks to his busy schedule at the hospital."

"It might not seem like it now, but things will improve. Your father and I went through a similiar situation when we were newlyweds. Both of us were busy with our work, but things eased and gave us the time we needed."

"Whenever you do have kids, I know you and Ben are going to be great parents.", I say. "You're already naturals with Jamison and Delaney."

"It's kind of easy with them. The thing is when I have my own children, the pressure is going to be greater. What if I fail?", Mia asks.

"You won't. Things will all fall into place, and I'm not just saying that. I had moments when I was pregnant with Jamison. I wondered what if he doesn't like me. I even had those moments when I was pregnant with Delaney. Sure I already had Jamison and was doing well with him, but I still wondered."

"Mia, it's natural to be scared. I also feel you're going to be a natural when it comes to being a mother.", Grace says.

* * *

**C POV**

"Are you sure you don't want to sit down and rest for a while?", I ask Taylor. After work, he asked if it would be ok for us to stop at Toys R Us so he can get some gifts for Sophie and Riley. There wasn't a bone in my body that wanted to say no.

"You've already asked that about ten times today. I might still be weak, but I'm ok.", he chuckles. "I know I don't have to buy the kids anything, but I want to do it just because."

"You don't have to explain to me. I'm the world's leading "just because" buyer." We make our way to the movie section of the store.

"Sophie's into movies. She loves watches comedies. Gail asked her the other day if she might want to be an actress. Sophie responded with she wants to be a director." Taylor starts browsing through the movies as I look around the store.

"Christian Grey, it's been a while, but I still recognize you.", I hear from my side. I turn and see a brown haired woman with a smile splashed on her face. She's not a stranger though. Her name is Gina Preston, and she's one of my former subs. It's been several years since I've seen her, but she still looks about the same.

"Uh. Hi.", I murmur.

"Of all places to run into you.", she giggles. "I'm here to pick up a gift for my daughter who's turning three next week." She caresses her stomach where I see a small baby bump. "I've got another little girl on the way."

"Congratulations on your marriage and children.", I tell her in earnest.

"Thank you. Congratulations to you as well. It's hard not to miss the papers when they announce the news of Christian Grey getting married and becoming a father."

"Thanks. I've never been happier."

"I can see it on your face. I'm sorry for keeping you. I just wanted to say hi." She steps away and waves before disappearing down the next aisle.

"Is everything ok?", Taylor asks, rejoining me.

"Yeah."

* * *

"Mia said she and Ben would like to find a new house.", Ana says. She and I are cuddled together on the sofa after putting the kids to bed.

"Is she..."

"Pregnant? No. They just want to have a larger place for when they do have kids. I bet Sophie and Riley loved the gifts Taylor got them."

"I'm sure they did.", I reply. "While Taylor was browsing the movies, I saw someone from my past." Ana releases herself from my arms and turns to me. "Her names's Gina, and she was one of my subs. Our contract was very short."

"Why did it end?", Ana asks as her eyes search mine for clarity.

"She was new to the lifestyle and decided it wasn't for her. She's now married with a daughter and another on the way. Over the years, I've heard from sources how some of them are doing, but actually seeing it in person is different. She sounded like she has a good life."

"Christian, does part of you feel responsible for those women if they're not having good lives?"

"In a way.", I mutter as I stand. "There were times in which I wasn't the most pleasant person towards them. Some of them also wanted more than I could give, and I immediately sent them on their way." Ana stands and grips my shoulders.

"You can't hold yourself responsible for how their lives turned out whether good or bad. You're a good man."

"Seeing Gina today eased my mind."

"As it should have. The person you are today is not the person you were then."

"You're right. I'm now the person I was always meant to be."


	47. Chapter 47

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"Not only are you doing the remodel at GEH, but you're also going to be building a research lab. Bro, I've got to hand it to you. You do well at multitasking.", Elliot says. He's working on a site around the corner and surprised me by bringing me lunch.

"Despite having the site for the lab, we're still in the very early stages so it won't be so bad. I also promised Ana I wouldn't over do it."

"Cool beans. Even though I was just giving you props on multitasking well, I don't want you to put too much stress on yourself." He wads up his napkin and tosses it at the garbage can on the other side of the room. When it barely goes in, he leaps out of his chair and starts waving his hands in the air. "Oh yeah! Did you see that? I should be in the NBA."

"You got lucky.", I laugh as April walks in the room. A quizzical expression is on her face as she stares at Elliot who's now dancing.

"Do I even want to know what's going on in here?", she asks on her way to the vending machine.

"Elliot was celebrating his napkin successfully hitting the garbage can."

"All that for a napkin going into the garbage? Ok..."

"April, I was standing all the way over here.", Elliot scoffs. "That's quite a distance." When April fails to become impressed, Elliot's grin morphs into a scowl. "You had to have been here to see it."

"If you say so." She retrieves her soda from the vending machine and starts back to the door. "Christian, the paperwork frm the Murphy account has been faxed and is ready for you to sign. They added a note that they need it back by tomorrow morning."

"Thanks.", I tell her before she leaves. I get out of my chair and start helping Elliot clean up the rest of the table. "Thanks for bringing lunch."

"You're welcome. I wish I could stay longer, but I've got to get back to work. We're going to try to be finished with the foundation for the building today."

"What kind of store did you say was going to be located in the building?"

"Shepherd's Shoes. It's a shoe store being opened by Cory Shepherd. He started designing and making his own shoes a few years ago. Some local businesses sold them and did well. He thought opening his own store could be an even better way to get the product out."

"He sounds like he has a lot of ambition.", I say. Elliot and I start walking out of the break room and down the hall towards the elevators.

"He kind of reminds of someone.", Elliot laughs. We get to the elevator, and he opens his arms. "Come on. I brought you lunch so you better hug me."

"Gladly." We share a hug, and Elliot steps on to the elevator. "I'll see you later."

"Laters." Once the door closes, I start to my office.

"Christian, have you gotten the paperwork from the Murphy Company yet?", Ros asks me as she walks out of her office.

"April said they just faxed it over.", I reply. We arrive at April and Andrea's desks.

"Here you go.", April says, handing me the large stack of paperwork.

"They certainly sent over a lot.", Ros mumurs. "When do they want it back?"

"Tomorrow morning. I'd better start going over it to make sure everything is in order. The last thing I want is to miss one minor detail which could end up being a major problem."

"You know where to find me if you need any help."

* * *

"Jamison, slow down.", Ana says. Jamison ignores her and continues racing in my direction. I put my briefcase down and pick him up.

"What's the rush little man?", I chuckle, ruffling his cooper locks. He snuggles his head against my chest.

"It's amazing how he acted like he was tired not even ten minutes ago, yet he suddenly got reenergized the second he saw you.", Ana sighs. We meet in the middle of the living room and kiss.

"Miss you.", Jamison says. His comment makes me break away from the kiss and peer down at him. He's staring up at me with his blue eyes that like his mother's make my heart melt.

"Aww. I missed you too. I also missed your baby sister and your mommy. Where's the little princess?"

"She's in the nursery.", Ana replies. "How was work?"

"It was a long day which unfortunately is going to extend over to here. I've got a stack of paperwork to look over before tomorrow morning. Instead of staying at the office to do it, I'm going to do it here. How was your day?"

"It was fairly boring. I cleaned out the closet in the upstairs hallway. I then vaccumed all the carpet throughout the house. Afterwards, I helped Nancy peel potatoes for dinner. Please don't tell me I shouldn't have done all that because I wanted to."

"All of the vehicles have adequate amounts of air.", Taylor says, popping his head inside the front door. "Ana, hi."

"Hi Taylor. Gail took Sophie and Riley to the hous about fifteen minutes ago. They were going to get started on Sophie's homework."

"Ok. I'm going to head there now. Have a good evening." He waves and closes the door.

"Dinner is going to be ready soon. You said you've got a lot of paperwork to go over, but why don't you hold off until after dinner?", Ana asks me as I place Jamison down on the floor. The rumble of my stomach answers her question. "I just heard my answer."

"I had a grilled chicken sandwich and fries at lunch courtesy of Elliot, but I'm going to go ahead and eat now."

* * *

**A POV**

"This was my first time making jam, but it went well.", I tell Nancy and Gail. We've just finished canning fifteen jars of apple jam.

"You did well.", Nancy says.

"It would have been better if we had used apples from our own orchard instead of ones from the grocery store."

"It's still going to taste delicious.", Gail shrugs, making sure the lids are tight on the jars. "How much of this are we wanting to freeze and how much are we wanting to just refrigerate?"

"We can each take five jars and do whatever we want with them.", I answer. "I think I'll put one in the fridge and freeze the others."

"I like your idea. I might make some biscuits for dinner. Jason loves putting jam on biscuits that are straight from the oven."

With Jamison and Riley playing in the floor and Delaney in her bouncy seat, we start cleaning the kithen. I've just finished wiping down the last part of the counter when I see Mia standing in the doorway.

"Mia, hey. I didn't hear you come in."

"I just got here. What's are you guys doing?", she asks, lingering in the doorway with a brown paper bag in her hand.

"We made apple jam using one of Gail's mother's recipes. Would you like a jar or two? I've got plenty."

"I've actually never had apple jam before."

"It's the best.", Gail tells her.

"I might take a jar. Ana, would it be possible for us to talk privately?" The shakiness in her voice makes me wonder if something is wrong.

"Sure. Gail, Nancy, I'll be back." I move past Mia and motion for her to follow me into the living room. "Is this ok?"

"Do you think we might be able to talk somewhere else? I just don't want them to hear us in the kitchen." I head towards the family room which is a considerable distance from the kithen. "This is better."

"Now that we've found a place to talk, why don't you tell me what's going on and if it has anything to do with that bag you're holding?" She looks down at the bag and sits down in one of the chairs.

"I wasn't sure what kind to buy so I bought several.", she says as she opens the bag, revealing several brands of pregnancy tests. "I realize I made a big deal about Ben and I waiting to have kids, but I've been feeling off. I kept thinking it was nothing. Now I'm certain it's something."

"Have you told Ben?"

"Not yet. What if he gets upset and doesn't want a baby now?"

"I don't think he will. Ben loves you, and a baby is a part of you so he'll love it. Timing doesn't mean anything. I do however believe you should tell Ben that you think you might be. He might want to be there when you take the tests."

"I'm nervous.", she murmurs.

"It's natural.", I say. She stays seated a few more minutes before getting to her feet.

"He's working the day shift and will be home in about two hours. I'm going to let him rest for a while, and then I'll spring it on him. Thanks."

"It's going to be ok."

* * *

"Baby, this jam is really good.", Christian says. Taking a cue from Gail, I made biscuits which we're smearing the apple jam on top of.

"I'm glad you think so. We have more where that came from.", I grin as my phone rings. I could let it go to voicemail, but with Mia's visit in my head, I feel the need to answer the call. "I'll get it." I get up and grab my phone from the counter. "Hello."

"It's me.", Mia says. "I told him. It went better than I expected. He was excited about the possibility of having a baby."

"I told you." I see Christian eating and observing me at the same time so I lower my voice. "Have you taken them yet?"

"I can sense from the change in your voice that my brother is nearby. Ben and I have already talked to Mom and Dad and his parents, and we're going to call Elliot and Spencer soon. Why don't you put the phone on speaker? I'll get Ben." I hear her set the phone down as I put the call on speaker.

"What's going on?", Christian asks.

"Mia wanted me to put the call on speaker. She'll be back on in a second."

"Ben's here with me.", Mia says.

"Hey!", Ben shouts through the phone. "Mia insisted that we do this together."

"Am I the only one who doesn't know what the heck is going on here? What exactly do you have to do together?", Christian demands. I mentally envision Ben becoming scared on his side of the phone. Christian's always been protective of Mia. "I'm waiting."

"Chill out.", Mia snaps at her brother. "Ben and I have some good news to share with you and Ana, and I'd like for you to be calm when we tell you." I glare at Christian as his shoulders relax.

"I'm sorry. Mia, Ben, what do you have to tell us?"

"We're having a baby!", they announce together. I instantly start clapping my hands with excitement. Christian, however, doesn't do anything.

"I'm so happy for you two.", I say while turning to Christian. A smile slowly forms.

"Me too. I'm beyond thrilled for you. Congratulations.", he tells them.


	48. Chapter 48

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"Christian, you had me worried when I called to give my news." Mia sits across from Christian at the dinner table and grins. Grace invited everyone over for dinner to share in the joy of Mia and Ben having a baby.

"I was nervous.", Ben murmurs. Christian's eyes dart back and forth between Mia and Ben. "You're protective of your sister which is a quality I admire greatly, but it's one that also scares me."

"He's all bark but no bite.", Elliot jokes. He inhales the last of his food and starts laughing. "Me though, I'm the one who you have to watch out for."

"Elliot, you're funny and sweet, but scary...no.", Spencer laughs.

"I realize the baby isn't due for a while, but that doesn't stop me from being over the moon.", Grace sighs. "Ben, I wish your parents had been able to make it."

"Me too. They would have been here if Dad's conference had been another time. They wanted me to tell you they'd like to get together soon.", Ben replies as he points to Jamison's plate which is on the verge of falling from the tray of his high chair.

"Thank you.", I tell Ben. I push the plate back and make sure to keep an extra eye on it. "He pulled his plate off the other night. Mashed potatoes covered the floor."

"In addition to the baby news, what else is going on with everyone?", Carrick announces. The rest of the room stays silent. "I'm sure there's big things happening. Elliot, how's work?"

"It's ok. We've got the foundation laid for Shepherd's Shoes. For now, it's our main focus." Carrick looks over at Spencer, waiting for her to answer his question.

"I really don't have anything going on except for work which is going well.", Spencer says.

"Christian, Ana, how about the two of you?", Grace asks.

"We're almost at the halfway point for the GEH remodel.", Christian answers while folding his linen napkin. "There's still a lot of work to be done, but getting to the halfway point is major."

"I've discovered that I like making jams.", I giggle. "It's not something I thought I'd like doing, but I like it."

"The apple jam you made is delicious.", Mia says. "I've been eating it on my toast in the morning."

"Grace and I have some news.", Carrick says. "It's not major news, but we're leaving next Monday for a weeklong European getaway. It's something we've been wanting to do for a while, but the timing hasn't been right until now."

"Make sure you bring us gifts back.", Mia teases.

"I've got a question. With you being gone, the house is going to be empty. How about Spencer and I stay here to keep an eye on things?", Elliot says. "We'll get your mail in and water the plants."

"Is this your way of getting to throw the party you weren't able to have when you were younger?", Christian asks. Elliot scowls over his fork at his brother. "You know it still bothers you."

"I can't believe you brought that up.", Elliot growls.

"What party are the two of you talking about?", I ask both brothers while picking a fussy Delaney out of her seat.

"When I was a senior in high school, I was going to throw a party while Mom and Dad were out of town. It was only going to be a small get together among friends."

"You made fliers and handed them out to everyone whether you knew them or not.", Christian chuckles. "It was called The Bash to End All Bashes."

"Ah, yes. I recall that.", Grace sighs. "Carrick and I missed the kids so much we returned home early. Imagine my surprise when we arrived home to find all the furniture pushed back and a kitchen full of food."

"It screamed party.", Carrick adds.

"At least I moved the furnitre so it wouldn't get messed up.", Elliot says. "You have no idea how disappointed people were when I had to cancel."

"Your mother and I returning early was the best thing. The party might have gotten out of hand and caused you to be grounded."

"I was still grounded."

"They only grounded you for a week, but I would've made it two weeks.", Mia says.

"Don't even think about throwing a party when you're older.", Christian tells Jamison.

"Uh huh.", Jamison nod although he doesn't know what's going on.

* * *

"Tonight...", I yawn. "Was nice." I lay down on the bed and stare up at the ceiling.

"It was very nice. I like family dinners especially when a funny event from the past causes Elliot to get riled up." I feel Christian's side of the bed dip and see him lean over me. His lips brush again mine. "Did you ever throw a party when you were younger?" I raise up on my elbows and touch the side of his face.

"Like one that my parents knew nothing about? No. I never did."

"I'm not surprised.", he laughs. I pick up my pillow and gently hit him with it. "I'm just messing with you."

"For your information, just because I didn't have a party doesn't mean I didn't consider having one. My mom and dad were going to a friends' dinner party one night, and I almost threw a party."

"Why didn't you?"

"Natalie told me to think about the consequences. She said my parents could end up losing trust in me, and that was something I didn't want to happen. My sweet sister had my back."

"I saw you looking at a photo of her yesterday."

"It was the first time in a while that I've sat and just stared at one of her photos. She would've loved being an aunt to Jamison and Delaney. They would have been spoiled. I wish I had gotten the chance to be an aunt to her kids.", I whisper. "Natalie was such an amazing person and would have been an amazing mom." I wipe away the small tears from the corners of my eyes. "I didn't mean to get emotional."

"Ana, never apologize for being emotional. You miss your sister and your mom, and it's ok to shed those tears. You don't have to have to hold it in." The gates that have been holding in my tears collapse, and I feel myself being pulled into Christian's embrace.

"I miss them. I miss them so much.", I sob.

* * *

**C POV**

"We're halfway complete, and I couldn't be more pleased with the results thus far.", I tell Grant Sullivan.

"I'm glad you like what I've done. It's been a lot of hard work, but I've enjoyed the learning. This project is the largest I've ever taken on. I've pushed myself to give you the remodel of your dreams."

"So far, you've done just that. This may be your first major project, but I can guarantee it won't be your last."

"It means a lot hearing that from you. I should get back to work. We're adding the countertops to the accounting department's break room today." He stands and shakes my hand before going to the door. He's just left the room when I see Ros walk in.

"I saw Grant leaving. He told me he's on his way to install countertops for the accounting department's break room. I asked if it might be possible to make some changes to our floor."

"And what kind of changes might that be?", I ask, putting away some papers on my desk.

"I asked if it's possible for my office to have a skylight."

"You're already going to have floor to ceiling windows all around the office."

"But I don't have a skylight.", she sighs, tapping her foot.

"Ros, although the plans are already set, you can have a skylight if it means that much to you."

"I can't believe you agreed to it. I was just joking."

"I knew you were joking which is why I said yes.", I laugh. "I'm thinking about going home for lunch."

"I bet Ana will like that."

"She doesn't know I'm thinking about it, and I plan on it staying that way. I might stop and pick up some flowers." Holding Ana in my arms last night while she was crying was heartbreaking. It hurts seeing her cry, yet I know holding in those tears isn't good.

* * *

"Ana's upstairs.", Gail tells me. I texted her earlier to let her know that I was going to be home for lunch but not to tell Ana. I asked Gail if she and Nancy would make sure Ana didn't have eat lunch before I got home. Nancy places a few dishes in the cabinet and grins.

"It's very sweet that you're doing this.", she says as she points to the bouquet of red roses in my hand. "I'm going to go and take my little break." She waves and slowly walks out of the kitchen.

"Mrs. Taylor, would you and Riley like to join me for lunch at our home?", Taylor asks Gail. He hands her the roses he picked up for her.

"We'd love to.", Gail replies. Taylor picks up Riley and guides Gail out the kitchen side door. I'm not sure when Ana's going to be back downstairs so I rush to get things ready. I set two candles on the table and light them. I then place the carryout Italian food I picked up on the table.

"They both went right to sleep.", Ana's saying on her way into the kitchen. She halts when she sees me. "Where are Gail and Nancy, and what are you doing home?"

"Nancy went out for lunch, and Gail's over at her house with Taylor and Riley. They're having their own little lunch. As for the second question, I wanted to bring my wife lunch and spend some time with her." I pick up the roses and hand them to her. "These are for you."

"Christian, thank you.", she says while smelling the flowers. I grab and fill a vase with water and then take the flowers back. "You didn't have to bring me lunch."

"I realize that, but I wanted to. I called Gail earlier and asked if she and Nancy would keep you from eating before I got here with our lunch." She glances down at the carryout and then back up at me.

"I should be the one surprising you with lunch after last night. You held me and listened to me cry for a long time."

"Seeing you cry isn't one of my favorite things, but it's something that needed to be done. You had some things built up, and you needed to let them out."

"I used to be a master of holding things in, but I had gotten better at letting those feeling out. Even though my eyes were red and nose all sniffly, I did feel better afterwards."

"Good. Remember I'm always here to hold you."


	49. Chapter 49

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"I hope you two have the best time.", I tell my parents who have me on speaker phone while they wait to board their flight for their European getawawy.

"We will.", my mom replies. "I realize the entire family is busy now, but I think it would be wonderful if we could all go away together sometime. What do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea that we'll have to make happen one day. What I want now is for you and Dad to enjoy yourselves. You deserve it."

"Christian, they're calling for us to board. We'll call you when you land.", my dad says.

"Ok. Have a safe flight. I love you guys."

"Love you two.", they sing happily before hanging up. I place the phone down and open the folder sitting in front of me on my study desk. Each page is numbered, yet when I get to four, five doesn't follow. I see page six but not page five. I raise the folder up but don't see the missing page. A search of the rest of the desk comes up empty. I roll my chair back to see if the page might have fallen out when I was looking over the papers earlier, but it's no where to be found. I look up at the sound of the door opening and smile when I see Ana standing in the doorway.

"You look frazzled.", she says.

"I am somewhat. I was going over some papers earlier, and they were all there. Now one of the pages is missing. I've looked and looked but can't find it." She pads into the room and does her own search of the floor. "It couldn't have just disappeared.", I sigh.

"No. It couldn't have. It has to be around here somewhere. Did you happen to take the papers to another part of the house?" I lean back in the chair and close my eyes, thinking back to when I had the papers.

"I've only been in here with them.", I answer. "I've never believed in magic, but what if it did magically disappear? That would solve the case."

"As much as that would make things better, I'm afraid it can't be what happened.", Ana smiles. When I see her smile, I think of how Jamison's is a reflection of his mother's. That leads me to remember a big piece of the puzzle.

"Jamison." Ana crinkles her nose. "He was in here earlier. I was sitting at the desk, and he was playing with his bear. He wasn't in her long, but he was in here."

"And you think he might have taken the page?"

"It's very possible. He loves prowling and getting into things." I stand and take Ana's hand, leading us out of the study. "Where's he at now?"

"He's watching cartoons." We head into the living room where Jamison is watching Winnie the Pooh from his spot on the sofa. He looks away from the tv and at Ana and I.

"Pooh.", he says.

"Oh. Winnie the Pooh.", I grin. "Sweet boy, did you take a paper from my study?" He doesn't answer. Instead he reaches under the blanket covering him. Seconds later, he pulls out the missing page and hands it to me. "Thank you."

"Jamison, you shouldn't have taken that.", Ana tells him. He frowns and looks close to crying which leads Ana to almost cry. "Don't cry. You can't take things that aren't yours. Ok?"

"Uh huh."

* * *

"It's been a while since we've gotten together like this.", Charles says. He and I are having lunch at Zeeks Pizza.

"It has. It's also been a while since I've had such delicious pizza.", I laugh. "How have you been?"

"Pretty darn good. Work's been steady the last few weeks. I've been going in early and leaving late. Today's the first day I've had time to step outside the building for lunch. Carol's been great about it though. She's either been packing me a lunch or dropping something off at the office."

"You could have asked her to lunch if you wanted.", I tell him. "I would have understood."

"I know you would have, but she told Mary she'd work today since she has the weekend off. I'm off as well, and we're planning on spending the weekend together."

"Do you have any certain thing planned?" I reach for another piece of the triple cheese pizza.

"Not really. I think we're just going to wing it. Sometimes the best times are the spur of the moment ones. I imagine you've been a busy man yourself, both at the office and at home."

"The answer is yes to both.", I laugh. "We're halfway finished with the GEH remodel, and all is looking great. Things at the house are even better. Delaney's growing like crazy, and so is Jamison. He likes discovering new things. Ana is well...as amazing as ever. I fall in love with her more and more every day. Oh, Mia and Ben are expecting a baby."

"That's wonderful. Tell them I said congratulations." After tearing his cheesestick in half, he looks at me. "You know I really like when we get together. It's nice.

"It is."

* * *

**A POV**

"Spencer, will you pass me that chili seasoning." She unprops her hands from the counter and searches for the packet. "It's right beside you.", I giggle.

"Oh. Here you go." She hands me the packet and peers down into the large pot of chili. "That smells delicious."

"You're welcome to stay. You can call Elliot to see if he wants to come over and join us."

"Thank you for the offer, but I already promised Elliot we'd have the baked ziti he likes so much." I stir in the chili seasoning and look over my shoulder at her.

"I didn't know you had a recipe for baked ziti. You need to share it with me."

"I would, but I can't.", she murmurs while opening a bag of corn chips. She tosses one in her mouth and sighs. "When I say I can't share it, I don't mean because it's a top secret family recipe. I can't tell you because it's actually a dish I get from Pasta Bella. Elliot, though, has the silly idea that I make it."

"And why does he have that idea?", I smirk.

"I might have told him I make him. When I first got it, he loved it. I was going to let him know it was take out, but then he started going on and on about how great of a cook I was. I didn't have the heart to tell him the truth. Over time, it's become easier to hold in the truth."

"Do you want me to give you a bowl of the chili so you can let him think you made it?" She tosses a dish towel at me and laughs.

"So...remember how the other night at dinner I said work was going well?"

"Yep.", I reply. I step away from the pot and get a bottled water from the fridge. "Is it not going well?"

"Yes and no. I've been doing great with the work, but I've got a new coworker who I'm having a difficult time getting along with. Her name is Bridget, and she started about a week and a half ago. She seemed nice at first. I wanted to get along with her. Then she started being bossy towards me. I told myself she was simply eager. My opinion of her changed even more when Elliot came by at the first of the week. I was in the back where I was pulling a dress for a customer, and when I went back out front, I saw Bridget flirting with Elliot."

"I'm sure Elliot wasn't flirting back."

"He wasn't, yet she was twirling her blonde hair around her finger and giggling over every single thing even when he told her he does contracting for a living. I'm not sure why she thought that was funny. I also didn't like how close she was standing to him."

"Spencer, I'm not going to stand here and say I wouldn't be upset if it were Christian who was being flirted with, but I'd also recall one important thing. Christian loves me and would never betray me just as Elliot would never betray you."

"I know he wouldn't. Elliot and I haven't had the easiest relationship. We even broke up for a while.", she sighs. "Yet ironically it's been those times that have made us stronger, and I'm not about to let Bridget or anyone else come between us."

* * *

"Baby, that chili was delicious.", Christian says as he sits on the sofa, giving Delaney her bottle.

"I'm glad you liked it." Jamison crawls into my lap and snuggles against my chest. "You're getting sleepy."

"No.", Jamison replies softly. He rubs his eyes and yawns.

"I'll let you stay up a few minutes longer, and then both you and your sister are going night night."

"We'd better enjoy him not arguing with us over his bed time while we can.", Christian laughs. "It won't be long until he's begging us to let him stay up longer. Delaney will be right behind him."

"It'll start out with wanting to watch the rest of a movie and then transition into having later curfews."

"We'll be the uncool parents who tell them to be home early. I can hear it now, "All my friends get to stay out late. Why can't I? You two are so lame." He meets Delaney's eyes. "You'll forget this, but just in case you don't, your parents are cool. We're the coolest parents around. Setting aside early curfews is the cool thing to do. Jamison, did you get that?"

"Uh huh.", he answers.

"See. We're already one step closer to being the cool parents.", Christian smirks.


	50. Chapter 50

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"Spencer, how about we take a break?" I grab my towel and wipe the sweat from my forehead, but Spencer continues pounding the punching bag. Having a day off, she called and asked me to join her at the gym. "Spencer?"

"Ok. I'll take a break.", she sighs as I toss her towel at her. We grab our bottles of water and head to a bench to our right. "Thanks for coming with me."

"You're welcome. Does hitting that punching bag help with the way you've been feeling?", I ask, referring to the uneasiness she's had about her new coworker who Spencer saw flirting with Elliot.

"A little. What would really make me feel better is if Bridget moved to the other side of the planet." She takes a large gulp of water and rolls her head back on her neck. "I worked with her yesterday and did my best to put my personal issues aside."

"How did that go?", I ask.

"It went ok for a while. She asked if I knew any guys who she could hook up with. She doesn't want to date. She only wants to screw. I silently rolled my eyes at her but got to thinking it could be good that she was looking for a hookup. If her concentration was on someone else, she wouldn't be worrying about Elliot."

"Problem solved." I twist the top off my bottle and take a sip. "Right?"

"If only. I told her I couldn't think of any guys at the top of my head which is basically true. I only know guys who are either in relationships or ones who want relationships. However, I told her if I thought of someone, I'd tell her. Things were finally looking good, but then they started going downward again. I went to lunch which was very nice by the way. I had the most delicious taco salad. It had grilled chicken and grilled shrimp and a sauce that was out of this world." I smile against my water bottle. "I realize the gym isn't the best place to be talking about it.", she giggles.

"Talking about it here is fine. It's so fine that we might have to go and get one of those taco salads after we leave here.", I smirk. "How did things get bad again?"

"I got back to work from lunch and overheard Bridget talking to Carly, one of the sales clerks. Bridget told Carly she'd give anything to have Elliot who she finds irresistable. It took all I had to not run up and pull her by her hair. Lucikly, rationality took over, and I didn't do act on my thoughts. It still pissed me off."

"Have you talked to Elliot about Bridget's flirting and your feelings towards it?"

"We talked, and he assured me that he has no feelings for her. I trust him. It's Bridget who I don't trust." After shoving her water bottle back in her bag, she stands. "We've got two choices. We can either work out some more or we can leave and get some food."

"I'm all for the food.", I grin as I throw my bag over my shoulder.

* * *

"Jamison, how about you pass Daddy the ball?", Christian asks with hopeful eyes. He inches closer to Jamison who backs away from him. "Please."

"No.", Jamison giggles before running away from Christian. With Delaney in my arms, I sit in the recliner and laugh as Jamison runs around the living room, doing his best to not be caught by Christian.

"Don't run too fast or you'll fall.", I warn. Christian stops and catches his breath. "I'm talking to both of you."

"I give up. Jamison, you're too fast for me.", Christian sighs. He staggers over to the sofa, collapsing on to the cushion. Jamison, seeing his dad exhausted, runs over to Christian and hands him the ball. "Aww. Thank you. Can I have a hug?" It takes all I have not to cry at the sight of my two guys hugging.

"Isn't that precious?", Sawyer says. I look over my shoulder and see him standing behind the sofa. "I'm finally finished with my daily report so I'm going to be on my way home. I'm going to shower and wait for Paula to get home. We're going skating tonight."

"Skating, interesting.", Christian grins.

"Paula's the one wanting to do it. I haven't skated since I was younger, and even then I wasn't the best."

"You might be better now.", I tell him as I adjust Delaney's blanket. "Just be careful."

"The last thing you need is to fall and break a bone.", Christian adds. Sawyer's face freezes. "But if you're careful, you'll be ok."

"Fingers crossed. I'll see you guys tomorrow.", Sawyer says on his way out.

* * *

**C POV**

"Sawyer called and said he's running late but should be here any minute.", Taylor says. He shoves his phone into his pocket and refills his coffee.

"Does anyone think it's odd he's running late after going skating last night?", Bryce asks, running his index finger along his jaw. "He could be laid up in a hospital with a broken leg...or two."

"I'm sure we would have heard if he were.", Ana says as she helps feed Jamison.

"Sorry for being late.", an apologetic Sawyer sighs as he rushes into the kitchen. "I overslept, and my phone was dead. I was going to use Paula's, but hers was kaput as well."

"It's ok. We're just glad to see you're up and well.", I tell him. Sawyer grabs a cup and pours himself some coffee while everyone glares at him. "I guess I'll be the one to ask how last night went."

"I don't have any broken bones as you can see. I do have a few bruises though. We got to the skating rink, and I tried my best to get out of skating. Paula wouldn't have it. She literally pulled me on to the rink. What happened? I fell. I got up. What happened next? I fell again. I lost count how many times I fell. It didn't help seeing all these little kids skating like pros. This one little girl skated by me and laughed."

"Awww. Did your feelings get hurt?", Taylor teases.

"Yes. The good news is I was able to finally get the hang of it after attempt number one million.", Sawyer shrugs as he raises his cup.

"I'm a fairly good skater.", Ana says. I raise a brow at her. "It was something I enjoyed doing when I was younger. I'm not saying I'm the best, but I do well."

"You continually surprise me.", I smirk. "Jamison, did you know your mom was a good skater?"

"No.", he answers as he tries to hand me a wad of smashed up pancakes. "Here."

"Thank you for offering to share, but I'm full."

* * *

"Elliot!", the barista behind the counter at Starbucks yells. Elliot grabs his coffee and joins me at the small window table where I'm already drinking my beverage.

"I almost got one of those pumpkin spice lattes.", Elliot says. "But I thought I'd stick to my regular coffee. Mia and Ben were over for dinner last night. I think Ben's still worried I might attacjk him or something."

"Ben's not worried about you attacking him.", I chuckle. "I do understand how he might have been a little apprehensive about us finding out Mia's pregnant. She's our little sister who we'd do anything for. Remember how protective we were when they first started dating?"

"You were a little worse than me, but yeah, I remember. I suppose learning Mia's pregnant also means us knowing she and Ben..." Elliot takes a drink of his coffee and then leans closer. "Do it." I almost spit out my own coffee. "Shocking, right?"

"Not exactly. I knew they..." This time I have to take a break. "Have relations, but I didn't need to be reminded. Besides, you didn't think a stork was going to magically bring them a baby."

"Psshh! No.", he scoffs. "Considering it's Mia, I thought a unicorn would travel over a rainbow and bring the baby."

"You're crazy." Elliot suddenly slinks down in his chair. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Hiding. Do you see that woman over there?" He points towards the front counter where two women are standing. "Not the older one. The one behind her."

"The blonde? Is it an ex?", I ask.

"Not even close. Her name is Bridget, and she works with Spencer. I went by to see Spencer at work last week, and Bridget introduced herself. She immediately started flirting with me. I know I'm a funny guy, but the chick was laughing at every damn thing I said. She was practically eye fucking right there in the open."

"Even in front of Spencer?"

"Even in front of Spencer.", Elliot answers. "I didn't flirt back at all. The woman may be pretty, but she doesn't hold a candle to Spencer." HIs eyes widen. "Shit. She's heading this way." Moments later, Bridget saunters up to our table and instantly starts batting her eyes at Elliot.

"Elliot, I thought that was you.", she smiles.

"Bridget, hi. Yes. It's me. I'm just having a cup of coffee with my brother Christian." She turns her attention to me and grins.

"Wow. Two guys who are as hot as the coffee they're drinking."

"Actually I'm having a iced coffee.", I counter, not even fazed by her.

"I see.", she purrs. "Elliot, I've been looking for you to drop by to see Spencer."

"I've been busy with work and so has Spencer, but we've been spending all of our off time together.", Elliot replies.

"Well, I hope your schedule clears up some so you can pop in for a visit." I notice how she licks her lips while speaking to Elliot. "I've got to go, but I'll see you around. Christian, it was nice meeting you." My response only comes in the form of a nod. She takes one last look at Elliot and heads for the door.

"She definitely has a thing for you.", I tell Elliot.

"No kidding. She can flirt all she wants, but I'm not going to give in to her."


	51. Chapter 51

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV **

"I suppose you had the worst trip ever.", I tease my parents. My dad looks up briefly while playing with Jamison and grins.

"Oh yes. The delicious food and stunning sights were awful.", he laughs. "It was so terrible we're already wanting to go back."

"I'm so glad it was as wonderful as you had hoped.", Ana replies, walking back into the room with my mom behind her. Delaney looks content in my mom's arms as she sits down in the chair closest to my dad.

"We ate so much food. Just when we thought we couldn't eat another bite, we did. We did so much sight seeing that our feet hurt. There were also days in which we'd just stay in and do nothing but relax. Even that was wonderful."

"The food service.", my dad sighs. "The hotel had a chocolate souffle that was so delicious I even ordered it for breakfast one morning."

"Aren't you the one who used to tell Elliot no when he wanted sweets for breakfast?", I ask as Jamison rolls one of his trucks towards me. I lean down and gently roll the truck back to him. "Vroom vroom." This delights him so much that he starts rolling the truck back and forth to me.

"Actually that was your mother.", my dad counters with a wink in my mom's direction. "I seem to recall her going on a trip for a few days when you kids were younger. Elliot asked if he could have ice cream for breakfast, and I said no. I was going to make a nice breakfast. Things didn't turn out so well. I ruined the pancakes and burnt the toast. Elliot looked me square in the eye and said, "Ice cream looks pretty good about now, huh?"

"Oh my gosh.", Ana giggles. "Carrick, I'm sorry the breakfast didn't turn out the way you wanted, but I can totally see Elliot saying that." My dad laughs and yawns. "It looks like someone is still exhausted from the trip."

"We're both still trying to get back on track. It'll take a few more days though." Jamison then starts rolling the truck over to him.

"I know a certain little boy who'll keep you from falling asleep.", I joke.

* * *

"Grant Sullivan needs to see you as soon as possible.", April says over the intercom.

"All right.", I reply while closing out my email. In no time, Grant Sullivan is scurrying into my office. "Grant, is everything ok?"

"No although it will be. We were working on tenth floor restrooms and hit a snag. Water started going everywhere in the men's room, and it ended up covering the floor. It'll set us back at least half a day."

"It's all right. You've been ahead of schedule, and a small hiccup won't be a problem." He knots his hands together and sways back and forth. "Is there more?"

"In order to fully repair things we're going to have to turn the water off. I assure you it won't be off long.", he says. "I'd say about thirty minutes max."

"Do whatever you need to do to get it fixed. I'll have a message sent over the intercom to alert the staff." A small part of me is hoping there isn't another snag, causing the water to be off longer than planned.

"Thank you sir. I'll get right on it."

He hurries out of the room as I get on the company wide intercom system and tell the staff the water will be off for up to thirty minutes. Once the message is out, I go back to my emails only to have Ros walk through the door a few minutes later.

"I was on my way here when I heard about the water. Please tell me it's not going to be off very long."

"Grant believes thirty minutes is the most it'll be off. I realize it's an inconvenience, but things could be worse.", I tell Ros.

"You've got a point. Despite this incident, Grant's doing an exceptional job."

"That he is. You said you were already on your way in here when you heard the message. Did we have a meeting?"

"No. I was on my way to ask if you'd like to join me for lunch. I'm thinking of sushi." I close my email once again and practically jump out of the chair. "Is that a yes?"

"Of course."

* * *

**A POV**

"I'm in need of new panties.", Maxie announces so loud that Bryce's face turns as red as tomatoes. Seeing her error, she comes to a screeching halt on the way inside Neiman Marcus. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be so loud."

"I'm going to do my best to erase it from my memory.", Bryce mutters as we step inside the department store. With Mary babysitting Jamison and Delaney I said yes when Candace and Maxie me to tag along on their shopping trip. Our first stop is Neiman Marcus. Between my browsing, I'm also going to attempt to see if Bridget's working. Christian told me about her being at Starbucks the other day when he was having coffee with Elliot. He also told me how Bridget was drooling over Elliot.

"They've got a sale on shoes!", Candace shrieks. "I've been looking for the perfect pair of shoes to wear with my new blue dress. I've got a feeling today is the day I might find just the shoes." Candace head to the shoe department and Maxie to the lingerie section while I look over a display of sweaters.

"Lizzie, I'm back from my break.", I hear coming from behind me. I spin around and see a blonde haired woman in a tight fitting black dress. She glances into one of the floor mirrors and smoothes out her hair.

"Ok. Bye Bridget.", the other woman says on her way out.

I try not to make myself obvious as I watch Bridget strut behind the counter. As I'm doing my stakeout, I see Spencer walk by the counter. She pays no attention to Bridget although Bridget practically stares a hole in Spencer's head. Spencer smiles slightly when she spots me. She motions for me to follow her to a rack of dresses.

"What are you up to?", she asks me.

"I'm here shopping with Candace and Maxie.", I answer honestly. I lean closer and lower my voice. "And also Bridget for myself. I noticed she was giving you a go to hell look when you walked past her."

"I felt her eyes on me. She's probably still pissed at me from this morning. I had a headache when I first got here this morning, but I was trying my best to work through it. My plan was going fine until Bridget waltzed up and asked what was wrong with me. I kindly explained that I had a headache. I assumed she'd let me be. No. She decided to keep hounding me. She asked if my headached was from fighting with Elliot. I assured her it wasn't and Elliot and I are fine. Yet she kept asking if I was sure things with Elliot are ok. Wouldn't I be the one to know? I finally had enough and snapped by telling her Elliot and I are more than ok despite what she was secretly hoping."

"I take it she didn't take that well."

"She played dumb, telling me she only meant well. She supposedly cares about my feelings. I told her not to worry about my feelings. I'm a big girl who can handle anything and anyone. I put a little emphasis on the anyone part. I went on to tell her that Elliot and I are rock solid and nothing can come between us. It was at that moment she suddenly remembered that she had to help put out a shipment of blouses."

"Good for you.", I say, patting Spencer on the back.

"Thanks, but I don't think that's going to stop her from trying to get Elliot.", Spencer sighs as Candace and Maxie join us. Both are carrying large bundles in their arms. "Candace, Maxie, hey. It looks like you really racked up on things."

"You guys got all that stuff in the short time we've been here?", I ask my shopping companions.

"Ana, Maxie and I are speed shoppers.", Candace replies. "I even got my shoes. Have you not found anything yet?"

"Nope, but I'm not a speed shopper like the two of you. Anyway I'm really don't have anything to look for. I'm pretty much just tagging along."

"Nonsense.", Maxie scoffs while holding up a dark brown leather handbag. "This is something I could see you carrying." I take the handbag and start looking it over. "Am I right?"

"Hmm. I do like it. It's big but not too big. I especially like how it has several compartments."

"Get it.", Spencer tells me.

"Are you just telling me to buy it so you can borrow it down the road?"

"Maybe.", she giggles.


	52. Chapter 52

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"That's a lovely vase." I point to a yellow floral vase that's resting on the coffee table in my dad and Mary's living room.

"It really is, isn't it?", Mary smiles. "The person who made it is very talented." I wipe some drool from the corner of Delaney's mouth and take one more look at the vase.

"Who made it?", Christian asks as he hands Jamison his sippy cup. Mary's eyes cut to my dad who's been silent the entire time. "Ray, you made it?"

"Guilty.", my dad answers shyly. "It's not the best, but I thought it turned out well."

"He's too modest.", Mary sighs. "We signed up for a pottery class, and he made that on the very first day. Mine didn't turn out as well. The sides were all uneven."

"I thought it was beautiful.", my dad tells her just as Jamison climbs up on to the sofa and settles between my dad and Mary. "Hi there little man."

"Hi.", Jamison grins. "I see fish."

"You saw fish. Wow. Where did yolu see the fish?" Jamison crinkles his nose and stares at me.

"We went to the aquarium yesteday.", I answer. "Back to the pottery, it sounds like a lot of fun."

"Oh Ana, it was a lot of fun indeed. We're already looking forward to going again.", Mary says. "I mentioned it to Carol during her breakfast shift this morning. She also thinks it sounds like fun and is going to tell Charles about it. It's a great way to bond." Glancing at Christian, I notice that he appears to be contemplating something.

"When are the classes?", he asks Mary.

"Monday and Wednesday nights from five to seven. It's very laid back and fun."

"I was on the fence at first but thought it could be fun, and I'm glad I did.", my dad says.

"It wouldn't hurt to try it.", Christian replies.

* * *

"Ana, this nausea is really kicking my butt.", Mia groans through the phone. "I started out hardly getting sick, but now...ugh."

"I'm sorry. Every pregnancy is different. Some women are sick the entire time while others have no nausea whatsoever. Make sure you keep yourself hydrated and get plenty of rest."

"You sound like Ben.", she giggles. "One of the things I was worried about when I first found out I was pregnant was his long work hours. Most newlyweds see a lot of each other, but it wasn't the case for us. He and I hardly had any time together."

"You must have had some time since you're now expecting a little one.", I say, hearing Mia's laugh on the other end.

"Our time might have been limited, but we made use of it. There was one day I visited him at the hospital, and we had some fun if you know what I mean."

"Uh...yeah...I know exactly what you mean. Are your fears still there?" I hold the phone to my ear and grab an apple from the counter.

"Nope. Ben's still working long hours but not as many as he was. Do you know the clinic that's a few blocks from the hospital?"

"The one that's a division of the hospital?", I ask.

"Yeah. It's a general clinic that's open Monday through Friday, eight to five. They have two doctors and a nurse practitioner but are looking to add more to the staff. Ben's name has been brought up during the discussions."

"Mia, that's wonderful. They'd be crazy to not want Ben on their staff."

"I know. It would be the perfect job especially with the baby coming."

* * *

**C POV**

"I went and got you some coffee.", I tell Ros. She removes her reading glassses and practically jumps from her chair to get the coffee.

"You must have been reading my mind. I've been in need of coffee but haven't had a chance to get any." She slowly takes a small sip of the coffee and smiles. "And it's my favorite from Starbucks. Grey, you did good."

"I've got to confess something. Taylor went and got the coffee, but it was my idea for him to do so."

"And you're the one bringing it to me. Thank you, and I'll tell Taylor thank you as well." Keeping a tight grip of the cup, she sits back down behind her desk. "I got a call earlier from Robin McClain from Venture One, the IT firm we worked with a couple of years ago. They're moving their headquarters in the next few months and would like to make the entire place energy efficient. I told her to send over the details so we could look over them."

"I remember they were only starting out when we worked with them, and now they're one of the top IT firms in Washington State."

"She said they've been working nonstop on projects and haven't had the chance to do much planning for the new location, but we're their top choice to help them."

"We'll have to see what kind of things they're wanting to do, but I don't see why we can't work with them.", I say. "I've got to get back to work but will see you later." I walk out of Ros's office and down the hallway to my own office. Just as I'm closing my office door, my phone rings with a call from Ana. "Hey baby."

"Hi. I hope I'm not interrupting you.", she says in the sweetest voice that immediately puts a smile on my face.

"Of course not. I always have time for you. How are things at the house?", I ask, settling behind my desk.

"Great. Jamison had a nice lunch and was immediately ready for a nap afterwards. I put him down and then gave Delaney a bottle and got her to sleep. Then I joined Gail and Nancy for lunch. We had some delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Have you had lunch yet?"

"I'm going to grab a sandwich soon. Are you still wanting to do the pottery class tonight?"

"Only if you want to go.", she replies. "I'll understand if you don't."

"Ana, I want to go, but I'm going to go ahead and warn you that I might not be the best when it comes to pottery."

"Christian Grey, you're probably going to be the best there."

* * *

"I'm glad we came.", Charles says following the pottery class. Mary had to work at the diner tonight so she and Ray aren't here, but Charles and Carol made it. Charles massages Carol's shoulders while looking at the small flower pot he and Carol made.

"Me too.", Carol adds. "I can't believe my flower pot turned out so well. I had a feeling Charles's would be great."

"My bowl isn't too bad.", Ana murmurs as she holds up the blue bowl she made. "I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to put anything in the bowl out of fear of it collapsing."

"I'm sure it would hold up.", I tell her after reading Bryce's text that the kids are ok. He and April heard about the pottery class and instantly offered to watch the kids for us. "Bryce said Delaney's sleeping, and Jamison's watching cartoons with Alex."

"Jamison loves playing with Alex." Ana gets out of her chair and starts towards my other side where I've hidden the coffee cup I made. She tries to lift my jacket which is covering the cup, but I'm too quick and grab the cup, keeping it underneath the jacket. "You've seen what we made. Why won't you let us see yours?"

"Because mine isn't the best. In fact, I made the world's worst coffee cup." Ana stares at me with her enchanting blue eyes and does the most adorable pout. "You know I can't resist those eyes and that pout."

"Oh really?", she sighs, feining shock. "I guess that mean you're going to have to show the cup." I ease the jacket away and hold up the beige cup for everyone to see. "It's not bad."

"It's not good either.", I scoff. "The handle is crooked."

"Only a little.", Charles says while standing. "It's a really nice cup." He holds his hand out to Carol to help her to her feet as I do the same with Ana. We walk towards the door, but Ana stops and runs back to where we had been sitting. Rolling her eyes, she picks up the cup that I tried my best to leave behind.

"It seems you forgot something.", she grins.

"How did that get there?", I ask. "I swear I thought I had it."

"Hmm mmm."

* * *

"Where did you get that cup?", Elliot asks the next morning when he and Spencer drop by the house.

"Christian made it.", Ana proudly replies.

"Huh. It has character."

"He's just messing with you.", Spencer tells me. "As both of you know, I've been dealing with a little issue at work. Things got interesting last night. One of the clients who I shop for needed a dress at the last minute, and she called me while I was having dinner with Elliot to see if I'd be willing to find her something. She's been a great client so I said yes. Elliot was going to wait in the car for me but needed to use the restroom."

"I had gulped down a lot of water.", Elliot mutters. "Anyway, I was coming out of the restroom when I was stopped by none other than Bridget." Spencer growls over her orange juice. "I tried to walk away from her, yet she followed me. She said she had seen Spencer searching for a dress. She went on to say that she understood Spencer loves her job, however, Spencer needs to get her priorities straight."

"I can't believe her.", Ana says while picking up Jamison.

"Me either. I told her Spencer has her priorites straight. I also said she needs to start worrying about her own life and stay out of Spencer's. That led her to tell me that she'd make sure I was well taken care of if we were together. I finally reached my Mr. Nice Guy limit. I told her we weren't together and never will be. I said I didn't appreciate her practically throwing herself at me and disrespecting my relationship with Spencer. She tried to say she was only doing it with the best of intentions."

"The girls has some serious problems.", I murmur.

"I came out of the back and heard Elliot defending both me and our relationship.", Spencer says. "I told Bridget she needed to back away, and then I took Elliot's hand and started leading him outside. About two hours later, I got a call from Tammy who works in the perfume department. She said that Marie, one of the managers, found Bridget in one of the dressing rooms with a guy. They weren't exactly talking."

"So two hours after she threw herself at Elliot, she's getting it on with another guy in a dressing room?", Ana asks. "Classy."

"When Marie told Bridget she was fired, Bridget begged for another chance. She said she didn't mean for things to go that far with the guy. She was only with him because of how things with Elliot turned out. She tried to make it out like she and Elliot had been seeing each other until things went bad. Bridget didn't know I filled Marie in last week on what was going on. She also didn't know that Marie had seen the footage from the security camera that was placed near where Bridget was talking to Elliot. Marie refused to give Bridget another chance. Now I don't have to worry about dealing with Bridget at work."

"Spencer can work in peace.", Elliot says.

"I'm worried though. What happened last night might send Bridget over the edge even more."


	53. Chapter 53

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"Rawr!", Jamison growls as I run into the family room. I crouch behind the sofa and wait for him to find me. Instead of getting closer, his growls fade. I slowly rise from the floor and peek over the sofa, but Jamison's not in the room.

"Jamison?", I call. Not getting a response, I get to my feet and see Ana standing in the doorway.

"He's in the kitchen where Gail's making Riley and him ice cream cones.", Ana giggles.

"I knew something important had to have happened for him to stop chasing me." I move over to the sofa, patting the spot next to me. Ana sways back and forth with her hands behind her back. "Do you not want to sit next to me?"

"It depends. Do you bite?"

"Only if you want.", I smirk as she pads to the sofa and sits down next to me. "You're a brave woman."

"How do you know I won't be the one biting?", she asks, wiggling her brows. She stretches her head towards the other side of the room where Jamison's holding jis

"Look.", Jamison says while making his way into the room. His hand is tightly gripping the ice cream cone in his hand.

"Can Daddy have some of your ice cream?", I ask.

"No.", he answers, shaking his head. He grins and licks the side of the cone as if he's teasing me.

"How about Mommy?", Ana asks him, pouting in an effort to help her case. Jamison glances at the ice cream in contemplation. He then walks over to Ana and starts handing her the cone. "Aww. That's sweet. Mommy was only playing with you. I want you to eat all the ice cream."

"How come he told me no?", I murmur. Ana gets up and grabs my hand. "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking you to get some ice cream. I suppose you've been good enough for some."

"Maybe I won't be so good later on.", I whisper in her ear, making her blush.

* * *

"This meal is the perfect way to cap off the weekend.", April says cheerfully. Although we see April and Bryce while they're working, it's been a while since we've had dinner with them so Ana and I invited them to the house. Sitting back down after getting Alex more juice, Bryce nods with a frown. "What's with the long face?"

"Do you not like the enchilada casserole?", Ana asks. "Tonight's the first night I've made it, but I thought it turned out ok."

"It's delicious.", Bryce says. "I'm just down because tomorrow is Monday, my least favorite day of the week. When Friday arrives, I'm excited. I love Saturday and most of Sunday, but by Sunday evening, my mood has taken a complete one sixty."

"Bryce, Mondays aren't my favorite day either, but I've learned the more you dread it, the worse it'll be.", I tell him as I take out my second helping of the enchildada casserole. Ana appears pleased with herself while she watches me. "Bryce was right about this being delicious. It might very well be my favorite dish ever."

"I'm glad you like it, but it might also give you the worst case of indigestion ever.", Ana giggles. She looks around me and over to Jamison who's playing with his peas. "April, I've been meaning to ask your thoughts on the work remodel so far."

"I love what's been done. Each completed step is even better than the previous one. I'm really looking forward to when the time comes for our floor to be done. Both Andrea and I are axious to see what our work stations are like."

"I've seen the sketches, and you're both going to be pleased. Even though GEH is a business, the goal is to make the employees more comfortable. I want everyone to have a relaxing work environment."

"Good idea. In my opinion, the more relaxed the employees are, the better their job performance.", Bryce says. "I applaud you for being so considerate."

"It's one of the many great qualities that make Christian the man he is.", Ana smiles as she leans over and gives me a quick peck on the cheek.

* * *

**A POV**

"Ana, you should see this new shipment of winter clothes we got in. They haven't put them out on the sales floor yet, but I was able to get a look at them this morning when I was working on looks for a new client. She works in trading and just got a promotion which limits her shopping time.", Spencer says as she gives Delaney her bottle.

"And that's where your skills as a personal shopper come in handy.", I say. "Are you still liking the job as much as when you first started?"

"Definitely especially now that I don't have to worry about seeing Bridget. I'm not the only one who's glad she's gone. A lot of the others at work are also relieved she's no longer there. Besides trying to get Elliot, Bridget also had a way of making others feel bad about themselves. She often made rude comments to other employees as well as customers. A few weeks ago, she was helping a woman, but the second the woman stepped away, Bridget was talking bad about her. I value everyone who I help at work. It's those people who keep me employeed." Jamison toddles into the living room from the family room where he's been playing. "Did you finally decide to come say hi to me?"

"No.", he replies while climbing next to me on the sofa.

"Christian mentioned that he's running a background check on Bridget to see if there's anything suspicious.", I say.

"When he told me he was going to do it, I didn't argue. It's possible Bridget's completely out of my hair, however, it's also possible she's planning revenge.", Spencer murmurs. "The calm at work might not mean squat." Once Delaney is full, Spencer gently pats her back to get a burp which comes out loud. "You sound like your uncle."

"Other than the Bridget thing, how are you and Elliot?"

"We're better than ever. We do the one thing we didn't do a lot of when we first started dating...communicate. When one of us used to have an issue with the other, we brushed it off. The time came where there the brushing off could no longer be down. We now sit down and talk about our issues and also just things in general."

"It sounds like the two of you have not only grown as a couple but also as individuals." I fake a sniffle. "You're growing up."

* * *

"What's for dinner?", Christian asks. He loosens his tie and plops down in the recliner.

"Would you be upset if I said we're having leftovers?"

"Not at all. Leftovers are awesome.", he answers as I sit down on the ottoman.

"Good. How was your Monday at work?"

"Ros and I were supposed to have our normal Monday meeting at nine, but when nine came, Ros wasn't in my office. I called her and didn't get an answer so I went to her office, and her assistant said she had went downstairs about fifteen minutes earlier but hadn't returned. Taylor and I went to get on the elevator in search of her, and that's when we noticed the elevator was stuck. Ros was in it."

"That poor thing.", I sigh.

"Luckily they were able to get it fixed not long after. It turns out Ros had left her phone in her office when she went downstairs since she didn't anticipate being gone long. She was a little shaken up. I felt terrible that it happened to her. After we finally had our meeting, I spoke with Welch to find out the results of his background check on Bridget. She's had a speeding ticket but no other run ins with the police. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary in the report. "

"It's never too late to change things.", I point out. "For Spencer and Elliot's sake, I hope Bridget really, truly is out of their lives. Spencer and I were talking earlier about how things are good with her and Elliot."

"I had a similiar talk with Elliot this afternoon. My brother really loves her. He even mentioned marriage." I feel a grin spread across my face. "It's a subject they've discussed a lot."

"They should have all the happiness that's possible."


	54. Chapter 54

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"Shhh. Sleep tight sweet boy.", I whisper to Jamison who's finally asleep. When he woke up this morning morning holding his ear, I knew immediately something was wrong. The doctor said he had an ear infection which should clear up with antibiotics, but I hate seeing him in pain.

"I wish I were the one with the ear infection.", Christian says softly from beside me. We tiptoe out of Jamison's room and into Delaney's room where she too is asleep. "We've good some incredible kids, don't we?"

"We sure do. It's because they've got an an amazing dad." I snake my arms around Christian, seeing the vast difference in his face from this morning. When he looked at Jamison, I could see angony.

"Let's not forget they also have an amazing mom." He brushes his lips against mine and then leads us out into the hallway and downstairs. "It looks different in here."

"There aren't any toys scattered since Jamison hasn't felt like playing.", I sigh as Bryce and Sawyer walk through the front door.

"How's Jamison?", Bryce asks?"

"So so. He's sleeping. Hopefully the medicine will knock that infection out.", Christian answers. "Didn't Alex have an ear infection a while ago?"

"He did, and thanks to the medicine he was up and playing in no time. Speaking of Alex, April and I are taking him over to my parents' after work. My mom called last night and asked if they could keep Alex for the night. Even though both April and I sleep better when he's home, we said yes."

"Have you and April got plans for you child-free evening?", I ask Bryce.

"Before you answer, remember you're talking about my niece.", Taylor murmurs.

"Don't worry. My answer is clean. We're going to spend the night doing nothing. We figured we spend so much time going, going, going that we rarely have the time to just not do anything."

"You've got a good idea.", Christian says. "Life moves too fast as it is, and we need to jump at the chance to enjoy it."

* * *

"I heard you don't feel well.", Mia says to Jamison who's sitting on the cushion next to her.h

"He feels better today than he did yesterday, but he's still not a hundred percent. Fortunately he slept pretty good last night which I can't say for his sister. She decided to wake up at four, but she wasn't hungry and in need of a new diaper. She simply wanted to be awake. I brought her to the living room and held her, thinking she'd go back to sleep in no time, yet she didn't until about three hours later." I wink at Delaney who's moving his little feet to the music on her swing.

"Another thing I have to look forward to.", she grins. Her eyes go to my light blue sweater. "You've got a little something on your sweater."

"Ah, another thing to look forward to. I can't recall the last time I went an entire day without having food or spit up on my clothes. I wouldn't have it any other way. So, has Ben heard anything from the clinic?" Mia's lips curve into a wide smile. "He has."

"They officially offered him a position. Although it's a wondeful opportunity for him and us, I encouraged him to think long and hard about it. Yes it would mean he'd be home more, but he's been at the hospital for a while. With that being said, after taking the time, he accepted the clinic position. He starts there at the end of the month."

"Mia, that's great. I can see how Ben leaving a place where he's been for so long could be difficult, but the job at the clinic is perfect. He'll continue to help people while also being home more with you and the baby."

"I'm looking forward to it even though it's going to be kind of weird having him home during normal hours. We'll get to have meals together. I'll be able to look at his face every night before I close my eyes. What I'm most excited about is him being there for the baby, and I don't mean it so he can help with the diapers and feedings. I mean he'll get to experience fatherhood to the max. Does that make sense?"

"Perfect sense. I was and still am the same way with Christian. I see how being a dad is important to him, and I want him to take part in every possible step."

"Dada.", Jamison murmurs.

"Yes. I'm talking about your daddy. Do you love your daddy?", I ask.

"Uh huh."

* * *

**C POV**

"Heading out?", Ros asks. I nod and shrug on my coat before grabbing the files on top of my desk.

"I thought I'd leave a little early so I could go home and spend some time with Ana and the kids." With Jamison not feeling well yesterday, I stayed home from work, and I would've stayed today if Ana hadn't practically pushed me out the door.

"How's Jamison feeling?"

"A little better. Ana said he's been playing some. I'm going to try to get Ana to take a nap even if it's a short one since she's been up since four and didn't get much rest yesterday.", I say as Ros and I walk out of my office and over to Andrea and April's work station. "I'm heading home."

"Have a good rest of the day.", both of them tell me. With Ros still at my side and Taylor now following me, I stride towards the elevator which Grant Sullivan is stopping off.

"Mr. Grey, I was on my way to see you.", Grant says.

"And I was on my way out. Is everything ok?"

"All is great. I wanted to tell you that we'll be ready to start working on your floor next week. My crew has a few more things to do on the floor below, but for the most part, everything is almost finished. I'm going to leave about three guys down there to cap things off."

"That means the remodel is nearing completion.", I say. "You've done an outstanding job on every aspect."

"I've done my best."

"And it shows.", Ros says.

"Thank you."

* * *

"There's my little man.", I laugh while picking up a giggling Jamison who ran to me the second I stepped inside the house. "Are you feeling better?"

"Uh huh.", he nods.

"I'm so glad to hear that. I missed you."

"He's been playing but not as much as he usually does.", Ana replies while standing with Delaney. "You actually got home later than I thought you would."

"Whatever could you mean?", I tease.

"I mean I hadn't the hardest time getting you to go to work this morning that I knew you'd be home early. How about you tell me how your work day which you didn't want went." I kiss Delaney's forehead and then Ana's lips before the four of us get comfortable on the sofa.

"It wasn't easy staring at words and numbers when my mind was on you guys, but I somehow managed. Once I had done all that needed to be done for the day, I decided to head home. Before I left, Grant Sullivan told me he and his crew are going to be starting on my floor next week."

"Christian, that's wondeful.", Ana says. "You're excited, right?"

"Of course I'm excited.", I answer. "With them being on the floor, it'll make get work done interesting, but so far it hasn't been too bad with the other floors."

"I suppose you're going to have a huge party once the remodel is officially complete."

"I'm not sure how extravagant it'll be, but I do want to have a party. I want people to see GEH's transformation. It's monumental." I glance down at Jamison. "Will you come to my party?"

"Yeah.", he grins as I pull him into my lap.

"I'll go ahead and give you Delaney's answer. She'll be there, and I so will I.", Ana says.

"I can already see it's going to be a great party since the three most important people in my life will be there."


	55. Chapter 55

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"That was Spencer on the phone. She and Elliot are running late. They had a flat tire.", I tell Christian as I walk into the kitchen where he's opening the oven door to check on the barbecue chicken. "That smells delicious."

"Of course it does. You cooked it." He closes the door and strides over to me. "It still has a while to go."

"Beep.", Jamison says while driving his little battery operated truck into the kitchen. The ear infection that sidelined him is long gone, and our sweet boy is back to his usual self.

"Beep beep.", Christian laughs. "Are you having fun with your truck?"

"Uh huh." Christian slowly turns the truck around, facing the direction of the living room.

"How about you drive into the living room so we can wait on Uncle Elliot and Aunt Spencer?", I suggest as Delaney starts crying from her portable crib that's placed in the living room. "And I'll get your sister.

"Yuck.", Jamison laughs on his drive back into the living room with Christian and I following him. I pick up Delaney whose crying stops just as the doorbell rings.

"I'll get it.", Christian says. He ruffles Jamison's curls and goes to answer the door. "You made it."

"We made it.", Spencer sighs as she and Elliot pad into the living room. "We're a little later than planned, but we're here."

"That's all that matters. Have a seat while we wait on dinner."

"Jamison, I'm jealous of your truck.", Elliot laughs.

"Ana said you had a flat tire." Elliot groans and falls back on to the sofa while Spencer sits down next to him and pats his shoulder. "Am I missing something?"

"Elliot's a little upset that he wasn't able to change the tire. He has a sore shoulder from where a board from on it yesterday. Thanks to my pestering, he went to the hospital and had it looked over. The doctor said there wasn't anything broken but to be easy with it."

"You're lucky it wasn't worse.", I tell Elliot.

"I know, but I still didn't like not being able to change the flat. It sucked having to watch Spencer while she changed it." Christian's eyes widen in Spencer's direction.

"Don't look so shocked. I happen to be a pro at changing tires. Just ask Ana.", Spencer says.

"She changed one of mine several years ago. We were on our way home from a concert when I got the flat. Spencer got out there and changed it.", I reply. "Elliot, I can understand why you might be upset about not being able to change the tire, but your health is more important. What if you had gotten out there and hurt your shoulder even worse?" Elliot seems to be letting my words sink in.

"You're right. Besides, Spencer looked kind of hot while changing the tire.", he says, wiggling his brows at Spencer who scoots closer and kisses him.

"Smell.", Jamison says as he holds his nose. Darting his eyes to the me, Christian jumps up and rushes to the kitchen. He returns a few moments later with his down.

"I hope no one had their heart fully set on barbecue chicken. It's burnt.", Christian mutters. "Ana, I'm sorry. I forgot to reset the timer, and now the chicken is ruined."

"It's fine. We can order pizza or even go out.", I say. "Elliot, Spencer, that's ok, right?"

"Hmm mmm.", Spencer answers without prying her lips from Elliot's.

"See. Everything is ok."

* * *

"Does anyone want more pizza?", Christian asks everyone around the table.

"No thanks. Six is my limit.", Elliot sighs, rubbing his stomach. "Five should've been. Now I feel miserable."

"I don't want to ruin the good mood of the evening, but I've got some Bridget news.", Spencer says. "Alice, who works at the cosmetics counter at Neiman Marcus, saw Bridget at the bar where she and some more people were celebrating Alice's sister's upcoming wedding. They were having a nice evening until a woman jumped up on the bar and started dancing."

"Let me guess, Bridget.", I say.

"Yeah. She was kicking glasses and shouting at other customers. The bartender was able to get her down, but afterwards, she went to a random guy and pulled him into a kiss. That didn't sit too well for his girlfriend who came over and literally pulled Bridget off her boyfriend."

"Obviously she doesn't care if a guy is single or taken. She'll go for anyone.", Christian says.

"She also clearly enjoys making herself the center of attention. How can anyone respect her if she's not going to respect herself?", Elliot adds while I get up and refill my water glass. "Enough about her. How about we talk about how amazing that dinner was."

"It wasn't the barbecue chicken I had planned to serve, but it did turn out to be a nice meal.", I reply. "I suppose since everyone is full on pizza they don't want any of the ice cream sandwiches I bought at the store."

"I didn't say anything about being too full, and I'll gladly take one.", Spencer giggles.

"Did I say I couldn't eat another bite? It must have been from the lack of ice cream.", Elliot smirks. "Count me in."

"Ice cream.", Jamison says from his high chair.

"You've got your answer.", Christian chuckles.

* * *

**C POV**

"Good morning.", Andrea says. "April called earlier and said she wasn't feeling well, but she was going to still be here. I told her not to worry about coming in. I hope that's ok."

"It's fine.", I say as I grab the morning messages. "I see the remodel crew is already here." Grant Sullivan and his team officially started work on my floor two days ago.

"They were here when I rarived about an hour ago. I've got some papers to give Ros, but I'll be back in no time." Andrea rolls her chair back and sprints past Grant Sullivan who's heading towards my office.

"Mr. Grey, good morning.", he says.

"Morning. You all certainly believe in getting to work early."

"We figure it helps get more accomplished. We're going to be working on the break room today. I realize it's going to be an inconvenience, but it's the next step."

"We've got other break rooms in the building so don't worry about it.", I tell him.

"Good. I also want to apologize for it being so loud. I know it's got to be difficult trying to concentrate while saws and drills are going."

"Grant, I assure you if I were truly bothered by the noise, you would've known. Just as I've got a job to do, so do you. I've accepted the noise with the other floors, and I accept it on this one."

"All right. Thank you.", he says as Andrea returns. "I've got to get back. Have a good day." Once he's gone, I start to open the door to my office but stop when I see April. From his desk, Taylor glances at me with just as much confusion as I have.

"I'm sorry I'm late.", April stammers.

"April, what are you doing here?", Taylor asks. "Andrea said you weren't feeling well. She also said she told you to stay home."

"She's your niece, meaning she's probably just as stubborn as you.", I tease Taylor. I then look at April who's a little pale. "Even your stubborn uncle stayed home when he wasn't feeling well."

"I feel better or a little better.", she shrugs.

"I'd rather you be a hundred percent better which is why I'm telling you to go home. That's coming from both your boss and your friend."

"Does Bryce know you're here?", Taylor asks.

"No.", she mumbles. "He had already left to take Alex to his mom's and was going to go to work. He even asked if I wanted him to stay home with me, but I told him no."

"Because you snuck out. You're pale and clearly weak.", Andrea says. "Go home." April grips her purse and stares at her desk. "Go."

"Fine. I'll go."

* * *

"Bryce said April wasn't feeling well today.", Ana says while removing Delaney's headband.

"She wasn't going to be at work, yet she showed up and claimed to be feeling better or a little better. We sent her back home. Things were slow today, and Andrea managed fine on her own."

"How did you manage with the remodel crew?" I pick up Jamison and sit down with him in the rocking chair that's next to Delaney's crib.

"I'm managing ok. We've got some clients coming in from New York tomorrow, but Ros and I decided to meet with them for lunch at Spiro since the conference room is being worked on tomorrow."

"I've been wondering something. What are you going to do when the time comes for your office to be worked on?", Ana asks as Jamison wiggles out of my arms and on to the floor.

"Easy. I'll work from home. It won't be for long. You're ok with that idea, right?"

"Am I ok with seeing your face more around the house? Hmm. I'm not sure if I can handle that.", she giggles, peering down at Delaney and then over at Jamison. "Kids, what do you think about Daddy doing his work here?"

"No.", Jamison answers with a shake of his head.

"No? You don't want me to work from here?", I pout. He runs back over to me and jumps in my arms. I'm overcome with emotions while feeling tears on the verge of falling.

"O tay."


	56. Chapter 56

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"You wanted to see me.", I tell Ros who's standing outside her office. With her arms crossed and jaw hardened, she appears to be upset about something. With the remodel crew having completed work on her office yesterday, I'm wondering if she's unhappy with what she's seen.

"Yes.", she hisses, placing her hand on the doorknob. "It's about my office." She opens the door, exposing the office which now has beige walls and carpet and more lighting thanks to the skylight.

"I was hoping you'd like it. I'm sorry." Ros's face eases, and a smile forms.

"You were wrong. I don't like it. I love it.", she laughs, waving her arms around the room. "I especially like the skylight."

"You said you wanted one, and now you have one. The final pieces to your new office are arriving tomorrow."

"And what might that be?", she asks, raising her brow while settling behind her desk.

"New furniture, including a new desk, sofa, and chairs.", I answer as I sit down in one of the brown leather chairs in front of her desk. "They're going to match the new color scheme."

"Christian, thank you for everything. I love the office and will definitely love the furniture. Although the skylight is a plus, my favorite thing is the new feel of the office. I was able to get a lot of work done when it was the old way, but now, it feels more comfortable which I think will lead me to be even more productive." Roaming my eyes around the room, I understand what she means about the room being more comfortable.

"I assure you that wasn't my plan.", I chuckle. "Now to sit back and see how my office turns out."

"Is tomorrow the day they're going to start on our part of the floor?", April asks when I return from Ros's office. While she still appears to be a tad pale, she looks much better than last week when she was sick.

"Yes. They're planning on taking out both of your desks and making one giant work area. They're going to be adding recessed lighting to the room."

"I've always like recessed lighting.", Andrea says. "My parents added it to the house they built a few years ago."

"Once it's finished, you're going to love it. Since they're going to be pulling up the carpet and moving things around, I think it'll be best if you two stayed home. Don't worry. You'll be paid."

"What about when they work on your office?"

"Ana and Jamison have already given me permission to work from home.", I grin as April grips the edge of her desk. "April, are you ok?"

"I'm fine.", she says in the most unconvincing way. I've got my suspicions about what could be wrong with her, but I'm not going to pressure her into telling.

* * *

"The toilet in our bathroom wouldn't flush earlier today. Luckily I was able to find the cause after some not some easy investigating.", Ana sighs, rolling her head in Jamison's direction. "It seems someone shoved not one but two toy trucks in the toilet."

"Jamison, did you do that?", I ask as I scoop a few more carrots on to his plate.

"Yeah.", he answers.

"Toy cars and trucks don't go in the toilet. It's not a car wash."

"No toys go in the toilet.", Ana adds. "Your mom wants Delaney and I to go over to her house tomorrow night."

"What about Jamison and me? Are we not invited?"

"No. Don't get upset. She wants to have a night with just the girls. You and Jamison can spend the night with your dad, Elliot, and Ben. Elliot's supposed to be renting some movies for you all to watch."

"I guess we can do that.", I say.

"So how did Ros react to her office? She loves it, right?"

"She loves it a lot. Of course she scared me at first when she had the most serious look on her face until finally telling me the truth."

"You shoul've known she was messing with you. Ros enjoys aggravating you."

"It's fun being aggravated by her.", I laugh. "I told Andrea and April not to worry about coming into work while their area is being worked on. They seemed to be more than ok with that especially April. I still don't think she's feeling well."

"Hmm.", Ana says before taking a bite of her green beans.

"Do you know something?"

"No. Do you?", she asks, cocking her head at me.

"I don't know anything although I do have a suspicion.", I answer. Ana grins like she might be thinking the same as me.

"Same. Whether we're right about our suspicions, I think we should keep them to ourselves for now. April and Bryce will tell us when they feel the time is right."

* * *

**A POV**

"Is Ben excited about starting at the clinic?", Spencer asks Mia who's chomping into her ham and cheese sandwich. At Grace's request, we're having a girls night at her and Carrick's house. Delaney's with me while Jamison's with Christian who's with Carrick, Elliot, and Ben.

"Very.", Mia replies. She leans back in her seat on the sofa and smiles. "It's going to be great having him home more."

"Everything is falling into place.", Grace says on her way back into the living room. "Girls, I've got to tell you I'm having fun."

"Me too.", I say while placing Delaney in the swing Grace and Carrick keep at their house. "We needed a night with just us girls.

"I couldn't stand boys when I was a kid. I thought they had cooties and smelled.", Spencer giggles. "Things gradually changed, and now I'm in love with a boy who is cootie free and doesn't smell."

"Thank goodness for that.", Mia giggles. "Mom was right about things falling into place and not just with me and Ben. Spencer, you and Elliot are meant to be which leads me to believe you'll be married within the next year."

"I second that.", I say.

"I'll go ahead and third it.", Grace smirks as Spencer shakes her head. "You and Elliot might not be married, but I already think of you as a daughter-in-law." Grace glances at the clock on the wall. "It's only a little after seven. The night is still young. Do you want to know what I want to do? I want to dance." She stands and motions for the rest of us to join her. "Come on."

"Why do you want to dance?", Spencer asks.

"Because I'm happy. Life is great. When I'm in a good mood, I like to dance. Granted I usually dance when I'm alone so no one can see my terrible dance moves, but it's fun. Are the three of you really going to sit there and say you don't sometimes just break out into dance?" Mia, Spencer, and I glance at each other and shrug. "Ok then. Let's dance." I walk to the middle of the room where Spencer and Mia are now standing. "Delaney, how about you?" Delaney glares at Grace and kicks her feet. "Look at those feet moving."

"Are we just going to dance to our own beat or to some music?", Mia asks Grace.

"I'm going to turn on some music." Grace walks over to the cd player on the left side of the room. "This looks like a good cd." She places a cd in the player and presses play. Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love" starts playing. "I love Elvis." Spencer sways back and forth, wiping away a tear.

"Not long after Elliot and I started dating we were watching tv when he suddenly started singing this song. He said every couple needs a song, and that would be ours. He still randomly sings it to me." Instead of dancing, all of us follow Spencer in simply swaying. When the song ends, we wait to see what the next song will be, but a voice comes through the speaker instead.

"Spencer.", Elliot says, making Spencer's eyes widen in shock. "When I first saw you, I was instantly attracted but also scared that I would somehow mess things up. Still, I couldn't stay away from you. I needed to know you better. The more I got to know you, the more I started to fall for you. We've had our share of problems, but it's what makes us human. The important thing is we've always come out on top which is where I feel like I'm at now. I feel like I'm standing at the top of a mountain with the world at my feet. Spencer, I want you by me on the mountain. I want you by me for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?" Spencer's mouth is open in shock while struggling to process what she's just heard. With her back to the front door, she doesn't hear or see Elliot slip inside the house. He tiptoes across the floor to Spencer who finally turns around.

"You want to marry me?", Spencer asks.

"I've never wanted anything more."

"Neither have I."

"That's a yes? I'm not just hearing things. You really said yes?"

"I really said yes.", Spencer nods, jumping into Elliot's arms as the rest of the guys run into the house. Holding Jamison, Christian eases next to me.

"What a great night.", he says.


	57. Chapter 57

**A/:N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"What a sweet and unique way to propose.", Mary says after hearing Spencer recount Elliot's marriage proposal. "

"Me too.", I reply as Jamison sets a smashed up fry on my plate. "Thank you."

"Elliot and I had been talking more and more about marriage, yet I had no clue he was planning on doing that night and the way he did it.", Spencer says, smiling at the sparking diamond ring on her finger. "Elliot could've place a piece of thread or no ring at all on my finger, and I wouldn've still been happy because it was the proposal that was special. He wants me to be his wife." Carol steps out of the kitchen and heads to our table.

"Can I get you guys anything else?", she asks.

"I can't eat another bite.", I tell her. "I do want to get a bacon cheeseburger, fries, and slice of pecan pie to go." Carol nods and writes my order down on her notepad while I look over at Delaney whose blue eyes are roaming her surroundings.

"In case you'll get hungry later?"

"It's not for me. It's for Christian. With them working on his office, he's working from home for a few days. He said he'd grab something to eat from the kitchen, but I'm not going to listen."

"I bet he'll be ready to get back in his office.", Mary says.

"He's anxious to see how it turns out. He also seems to be enjoying working at the house."

"How much more do they have to go?", Spencer asks as Mary goes back to the kitchen to give my order to the cook.

"A few more days. They're doing work on Christian's office and also making adding some more touches to Andrea and April's area."

"April can't wait to see how her station looks.", Bryce says from the table next to us where he and Sawyer have been sitting. "Still, she's enjoying her time at home." Both Christian and I believe April's pregnant, yet we're keeping our suspicions to ourselves.

"Speaking of your wife, are we still on for dinner tonight?", Sawyer asks Bryce.

"Sure."

* * *

"Dada!", Jamison yells the second we arrive home. Sure that Christian's still in the study, I hold Delaney in my arms and hold Jamison's hand with my free one while guiding us to the study.

"Knock on the door.", I tell Jamison. He all too happily taps on the door which is instantly opened by Christian.

"I thought I heard my name.", Christian chuckles. He picks up Jamison and kisses him and then Delaney and I. "How was lunch?"

"It was delicious. I chose to ignore your remark about eating something here, and I brought you a bacon cheeseburger and fries which I might have left in the SUV."

"Here it is.", Bryce says on his way to us with the bag of food in his hand. "I saw it in the backseat and grabbed it. Here you go." He hands Christian the bag and then goes into the security room.

"Ana, I told you I would get something here. We've got an entire fridge of food plus lots of things in the cabinets.", Christian murmurs, opening the bag and inhaling the smell of the greasy but delicious food. "It does smell good though."

"Yes it does, but if you don't want it...", I sigh.

"Since you bought it, I might as well eat it." He moves past and pads towards the kitchen where he grabs a plate and bottle of water. "Jamison, do you want some of my burger and fries?"

"No.", Jamison answers.

"Despite me interrupting you with food, have you been able to get much work done?", I ask as I sit down at the table. Christian smiles at Delaney and bites into a fry.

"I've been very productive. I was able to go through all my emails and reply to the ones I needed to. I had a fifteen minute call with Ros who's going to be stopping by tomorrow so we can go over a few more things. Everything that needed to be done has been done so please stop thinking I can't concentrate by being at home." I open my mouth to respond, but Christian leans over and places his finger on my mouth. "Don't."

"All right."

* * *

**C POV**

"Kurt McClaren is stepping down as CEO of his company.", Ros says. She continues to thumb through the files in her hand until she finds the one she was looking for. "Here are those quarterly projections."

"Thanks. Back to McClaren, why is he stepping down as CEO?" Kurt McClaren has been a leading staple in the tech industry for years, helping to create some of the most innovative products around while keeping himself grounded.

"The official reason is he wants to have more free time, but there are rumblings that more is going on. Supposedly, his son Danny been making deals with his friends' companies. He claims he's looking out for the future of the company when in reality he's only looking out for himself and his friends."

"Kurt McClaren built that company from scratch, and now his own son is ruining it? Unbelievable.", I scoff. "Why doesn't he put his foot down and stop his son?"

"Because he doesn't want to mess up their relationship.", Ros replies. "They had a falling out a few years ago, and the only way it was solved was by Kurt promoting his son. Danny only has dollar signs in his eyes. They've already had few upper level people quit."

"And more will likely follow." I set down the papers in my hand and take a drink of my half full cup of coffee. "Kurt McClaren's known for being well respected and adored by his employees. Although I've never worked with him, I've always admired him and the way he does business."

"What's happening is a travesty. Danny's going to run the company into the ground and not even care."

"You're right. It's a damn shame.", I mutter while wondering if and how this wrong could be made right.

* * *

"April, Bryce said you've been enjoying your time at home.", Ana says. Bryce's car is in the shop so April dropped him off this morning and is now picking him up. She was planning on waiting for him in her car, but with Bryce running a little behind Ana suggested April come inside and wait.

"I have been. It's been nice being at home with Alex. We've been watching cartoons and playing which can be exhausting. I laid him down for a nap yesterday and planned on doing some cleaning around the house. I made the mistake of sitting down for what was only going to be a few minutes. I woke up two hours later."

"There's nothing wrong with resting.", I say as Jamison and Alex sprint past me and to Bryce and Taylor who are walking out of the security room.

"Hey little guy.", Bryce says to Alex. He picks the little boy up and kisses both cheeks. "I missed you today. Did you miss me?" Alex nods his head several times before wrapping his arms around his dad.

"Bryce, when's your car going to be ready?", Taylor asks while Gail walks into the living room.

"Tomorrow hopefully. They called earlier and said the new transmission was there. Since it's a small garage, they don't have many people working there which makes it difficult."

"I don't mind driving you around.", April teases.

"It hasn't been too long since you had some work done on that car, has it?", Gail asks.

"I had new brakes put on about three months ago. April keeps telling me I should go ahead and just trade vehicles. I guess it makes sense considering how much I've been spenind on repairs. Still, I'm one of those people who gets used to a vehicle and doesn't want to get rid of it.", Bryce shrugs as I sit down in the recliner with Jamison. Bryce steps over to April and whispers something in her ear, getting a nod in response.

"Bryce and I were kind of waiting to tell you all something, but we thought we might as well go ahead and tell you.", April says. "You might have noticed I haven't been feeling well or acting like myself. Well, there's a reason for that."

"We might have picked up on a few things.", Ana murmurs.

"It's because we're going to be expanding our family.", Bryce replies. "April's pregnant."

"Pregnant? Wow.", I say, feigning shock. "I did not see that coming." Taylor rolls his eyes and laughs. "Taylor, did you suspect it?"

"Actually, I did, but I was going to wait for them to tell me.", Taylor shrugs. "Congratulations."

"Congrats.", Gail adds.

"Thank you. We suspected you guys had figured it out.", Bryce says. "It's nice officially having the news out."


	58. Chapter 58

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"Sir, I really, truly hope you like your office. If there's anything you don't like, please tell me, and I'll immediately fix it.", Grant Sullivan stammers with trembling hands as he opens the door of my office. He stands to the side and allows me to digest what he's been working on for the past week. The walls are now in a soft gray tone. "The color is called Aloof Gray. I saw it and remembered you wanted calming." The carpet in my office has been replaced with shiny hardwood floors in which the reflection of the sun is bouncing off.

"I like the walls and the floor.", I tell Grant to ease the anxiety he's displaying. There's a sofa and love seat that match the walls. Also on the walls are the photos which Grant asked for the other day. The smiles of Ana and the kids meet mine. I stride over to the large mahogany desk that's placed on the right side of the office. On the top of the desk is a small remote control.

"That remote controls basically everything in the room. There's button to adjust the heat and air conditioning along with one that controls the lighting. Another button does the blinds." I move around the desk and sit down in the large chair. "Like I said, I can fix anything you don't like."

"Grant, do you want to know what I want to change? Nothing. You captured everything I wanted. It's perfect."

"Thank you." I stand and walk back around to where Grant's standing. "I'm going to be holding a party in a week in about two weeks. It'll give people the chance to see all the incredible changes made to the building. I'd like for you to be hand since you made it possible."

"It wasn't all me. I wouldn't have been able to do any of the work if it hadn't been for my crew. They're an exceptional group who worked hard on every single piece of the project." His words are admirable.

"They're invited as well.", I say as we shake hands.

* * *

"Your office is nice. It's not as nice as mine but it's nice.", Ros teases. Her eyes scan the office before going back to the paperwork in front of her. "You really think this plan of yours is going to work?"

"Not a hundred percent, but I'm hoping." After learning the other day about Danny McClaren taking over for his father Kurt, I've been trying to think of a way to help both the older McClaren and the company he built from the ground up. Taking a chance, I called Kurt to see if he'd be interested in a meeting. He said yes although he doens't fully know what the meeting is for. Ros and I are expecting him shortly. "I want to at least try."

"I understand, and I'm right there with you. It pains me to even imagine how Danny will ruin the company."

"Mr. McClaren is here.", April says through the intercom. Ros and I both stand as I go to the door to welcome our guest.

"Mr. McClaren, please come in.", I say, smiling when I open the door. He returns my smile and walks past me to Ros who also smiles at him.

"Hi.", Ros says.

"Hello.", he replies before shaking our hands. "Mr. Grey, I've heard rumblings that your company in in the process of remodeling, and it's really looking great."

"Thank you. The contractor finished my office yesterday and has a few small details to do around the building. Have a seat." He pads across the hardwood floor and sits down in one of the arm chairs that matches the sofa and love seat. "I'm suppose you're wondering why I asked to see you."

"Yes. You and I have seen each other at various events and have spoken, but I was still surprised to get a call from you."

"Mr. McClaren, even though the business world can seem large, word gets around about what's going on in the companies.", Ros tells him.

"Like I heard about the remodel.", he nods. "I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you've heard that I plan on stepping down as CEO of my company."

"We have, and that's why we wanted to meet with you.", I reply. "You and I are alike in the aspect that we both started our companies out of nothing and grew them into two of the leading companies in the world. Another similarity is how we both value our employees. They're not only people who work for us. They're family."

"Those are two things I respect about you. I'm still not following you."

"I'd like to buy your company." He furrows his brow.

"My son is taking over the company." There's what sounds like sadness in his voice. "Danny and I have always had different ways of conducting business, but the right thing to do is hand him the reigns."

"You're looking at it as a father not wanting to upset his son.", Ros says. "Why not look at it through the eyes of a man who wants the best for the place he worked hard to create?"

"I realize Danny might not get along with the staff as well as I'd like, but I can't betray him by selling the company. He's my family."

"We could keep the company in the same condition you've kept it in all these years.", I say. "I'd give you my written word that nothing would change." He glances towards the window and shakes his head.

"I don't doubt that.", he murmurs. "But I can't betray Danny. I'm sorry."

* * *

**A POV**

"Are you still planning on coming to see the office tomorrow?", Christian asks as we clean uip after dinner. I toss him a dish cloth to wipe off the table, but I accidentally hit him in the face with it.

"That wasn't intentional. I swear."

"I didn't say it was, but you saying that makes me rethink things." He starts wiping off the table but keeps his eyes going back and forth to me. "You didn't answer me about tomorrow."

"Yes, I'm still planning on seeing your office tomorrow.", I giggle as Jamison runs from the living room and holds his hands out. "What is it sweet boy?"

"Help.", he replies. I scan the kitchen for some way he can help. I find the four linen napkins that are resting on the counter.

"Take these to your daddy." Jamison takes the napkins and happily walks over to Christian who takes the napkins.

"Thank you.", Christian tells him. "Are you going to come and see your daddy's new office?"

"Uh huh." Christian's smile never left his face earlier when he was telling me about his completed office.

"I bet you're anxious for the party so you can show off the remodel.", I say.

"I am. I've got to start getting the invite list together. I also have to figure out the food. I was hoping to have it in two weeks, but that might be a little too optimistic." He sits down at the table and pulls Jamison into his lap. "Maybe I should wait." The excitement he was showing earlier has slowed. I pad to the table and sit down next to him.

"It's going to take a lot of work for it to take place in two weeks." I settle my hand on top of his. "But it's not hopeless. I can help with anything that needs to be done." The corners of his mouth start curving upward. "Does that forming smile mean you'll let me help you?"

"It means I'll let you help me. It also means I love you."

* * *

"Jamison, do you like my new office?", Christian asks Jamison who's toddling around the room. He points to the closet at the back of the office. "What is it?" Jamison runs to the closet before Christian has a chance to get to him. Standing on his tiptoes, Jamison tries his best to reach the doorknob, but he still can't reach it.

"Hmph!", Jamison huffs, crossing his arms.

"Let me open the door so you can see what's inside the closet." Jamison's demeanor changes as soon as the door is opened.

"What has him so excited?", I ask as I sit on the sofa with Delaney in my lap. She has her eyes on Christian and Jamison as they rummage through the closet.

"These.", Christian finally answers while stepping from the closet with a box in his hand. "The office may look different, but the toys he always plays with are still in the closet. He remembered where they're kept. Let's take them over here." Jamison follows Christian to the middle of the room, and the two soon settle on the floor.

"Car.", Jamison says as he pulls a toy car from the box. Instead of rolling it on the floor, he places it on Christian's leg. "Vroom."

"Mrs. Grey, you haven't told me your thoughts on the office.", Christian says.

"I love it every single detail of it. It's warm and comfortable. Do you want to know my favorite part?", I ask, making Christian's ears perk up.

"Do tell."

"The photos on the walls. It's nice to know you've got those reminders of us while you're working." I think he's about to stand but instead goes to his knees and waddles over to me. With his eyes level with mine, he places his hand over his heart.

"The photos are nice, but all the reminders of you and the kids are stored right in here." He starts closing the gap between us but is interrupted when his phone rings. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok. Answer it." He stands and pulls his phone from his pocket to answer the call. While he's on the phone, I continue watching Jamison as he plays. Christian's jaw hardens while he paces in front of the window. The call goes on for about ten minutes, and then he places the phone back in his pocket. "Everything ok?"

"Remember me telling you about Kurt McClaren stepping down from his company?"

"You said you were concerned about his son ruining the company.", I reply.

"Yeah. Well, I met with him yesterday and offered to buy the company, keeping it the same as it is now. He turned me down although I wasn't surprised. Anyway, that was him just now on the phone. He'd like to meet again to discuss selling.", he says as he eases back on the floor with Jamison.

"What changed his mind?"

"He was on his way to see Danny, his son, this morning when he overheard a conversation between Danny and a friend. Danny was telling the friend how he plans to change the company with a restructuring that'll leave a hundred people out of a job. Kurt doesn't want anyone to lose their job whether it's a hundred or just one. That way Danny is willing to just toss valuable people aside made Kurt feel sick, and that's why he's now wanting to sell to me. He knows he can trust me."

"Something tells me his son won't be pleased with the news.", I sigh.

"I'm sure he won't be, but he should've been more considerate of his father."


	59. Chapter 59

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"I've got a cheeseburger with extra mayo, extra pickles, and extra cheese along with chili cheese fries with bacon.", Carol says as she takes the food from the tray she's holding.

"That's mine.", Mia giggles, happily taking her plate. "Thank you."

"I've also got a club sandwich with onion rings." I wave and take the second plate. "Sawyer, are you sure you don't want anything? We've added meatloaf sandwiches to the menu." Sawyer's head snaps up at the mention of the new addition. "I thought that might get your interest."

"I honestly was still full from breakfast when we first got here, but I've somehow found myself hungry. I'll try the meatloaf sandwich and some fries." Carol writes down his order and goes to the kitchen to turn it in.

"You have no idea how excited I was when Christian called to invite Ben and me to the party celebrating the remodel. Christian said we could see the work before the party, but we're going to hold off."

"Coming from someone who's seen the finished result, you're going to love it."

"I have no doubt. What kind of attire is it? Should we dress up or is it casual?", Mia asks.

"It's casual.", I reply.

"Good. I'm still going to have a difficult time finding anything to wear. My waistline is expanding by the day." A short time later, Carol arrives with Sawyer's food. "That looks so good. I might have gotten that if I had known about it. There's always next time though."

"Are you sure?", Sawyer asks Mia between bites. "This sandwich is out of this world delicious."

"You can get one to go.", I add.

"You twisted my arm enough.", Mia murmurs. "I'll get one to to. What was Jamison doing when you left?"

"He was playing with Riley which is why he wanted to stay behind. I told him he could play with her when we got back, but he did't like that answer. Gail and Nancy said they'd be ok with watching him and Delaney. Bryce is also at the house with them." I'm about to go back to my food when my phone rings. "It's Christian." Mia motions for me to answer the call. "Hello."

"Hey. Are you back home or still having lunch with Mia?", Christian asks.

"I'm still with Mia. Have you had lunch yet?"

"Not yet. I'll probably get something later. I've been so busy getting the paperwork and contracts in order for the purchase of Kurt McClaren's company. The actual sale still has a ways to go, but things are slowly falling into place." When Christian told me the situation with Kurt McClaren, I knew he wasn't going to sit idly by and not do anything. My theory was proven correct with the announcement that he's buying McClaren's company. "He called earlier and said he finally told his son the news last night. It didn't go too well."

"I wouldn't imagine so. Danny thought he was going to be in charge and free to do whatever he wanted. Now he's going to be out of a job."

"Exactly. Danny swore he's never going to forgive his father and that he's not going down without a fight."

"I'm not shocked."

"Me either. He could just be trying to be all tough with the intention of not doing a thing or he could be plotting. I'm going to be cautious. I've got to get back to the mound of papers on my desk. Tell Mia I said hello."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too.", he says and then ends the call.

* * *

"Riley, I'm going to turn the tv down just a bit.", Gail says. She picks up the remote and lowers the volume on 101 Dalmations, the movie Jamison and Riley wanted to watch. While they're watching from the sofa, Delaney is settled in her bouncy seat. Her blue eyes are following every movement by the puppies that are on the screen.

"Mean.", Jamison says with his finger pointed at Cruella Deville who's on the screen.

"Yes. She's a mean person.", I tell him as I sit in the arm chair opposite the sofa. My phone beeps with a new picture message, but it's from a number I don't recognize. I go ahead and open the message, immediately wishing I hadn't. Right in front of me is a penis. "Whoa." I shake my head and delete the message.

"Is something wrong?", Gail asks.

"I just got a message from a number I don't know. It wasn't an ordinary message. It was a picture message." I grimace at the thought of what I saw.

"What kind of picture message?"

"A message that had a certain part of the male anatomy." Gail's eyes go from me to my phone. "It's not on there anymore. I deleted it, but the fact that I got it is disturbing."

"It was probably meant for someone else, yet I'd be upset too. I wouldn't want to get a message like that from anyone other than Jason. Are you going to tell Christian?"

"Yeah. I'm sure he's going to go thermonuclear, but I'm not going to keep it from him."

* * *

**C POV**

"This has been a heck of a day.", I say as I walk into the living room. I place my coat on the rack and practically stagger to the sofa where Ana's sitting with Jamison. "Where's Delaney?"

"Sleeping." Ana glances down at Jamison. "This little one went all day without a nap."

"Meaning he'll probably fall asleep at the dinner table. Jamison, where you not tired?"

"No. I play.", he answers while crawling over to me. His small arms wrap around my neck, giving me a hug that instantly lifts my mood.

"This hug is just what I needed.", I tell him. "Thank you."

"Want to talk about what made your day so terrible?", Ana asks.

"It was going ok until this afternoon when Andrea said Danny McClaren was on line one for me. I knew he'd continue calling until I talked to him so I took the call. He greeted me with a pleasant tone and started talking about how he admires me and my work. I was polite and thanked him. He then said that his father's mind isn't functioning as it should."

"That's a low blow, saying something like that about his own father."

"It is. He said Kurt's been making bad business decisions for a while now, and he saw his dad stepping down as blessing for the company. I countered his comment by telling him how I've seen nothing but glowing reviews of his dad's work. That seemed to turn the tide and make his attitude change into a angry one. He then accused me of changing Kurt's mind. I responded that I had nothing to do with that. If anyone had anything to do with Kurt changing his mind it was Danny. I slammed the phone down and tried to get back to work, but my focus wasn't there. I'm almost certain Danny's just getting started. Enough about him. How have things been here?"

"Things have been good. Jamison and Riley watched 101 Dalmations for the first time and both loved it.", Ana says. She's got a smile on her face, yet there seems to be something going on behind it.

"Anything else?" She glances at Jamison and then back at me before shaking her head, convincing me even more that she's hiding something.

* * *

"Mary said she's looking forward to doing the food for the party. She's found some new recipes that she'd like to serve, but she wants to make sure they're good eough so she's going to test them on my dad first. I told her anything she serves is going to be great." Ana closes her book and sets it on the nightstand as I walk into the bedroom. "It's going to be a wonderful party."

"I hope so. I just want everyone to like the remodel as much as me."

"They're going to love it." I'm almost to the bed when she clears her throat. "I've got something to tell you."

"Is it what you weren't telling me earlier?" Her eyes widen. "I sensed it."

"Earlier I got a pictue message from a number I didn't know. I went ahead and opened it even though I regret it."

"What was in the picture?"

"It was a penis.", she groans. "I instantly deleted it but thought you should know."

"You're damn right I should know if someone sends my wife a dick pic. Who the fuck sent it?" I feel the veins in my neck tightening.

"I haven't a clue. The number was one that I didn't recogize, and I can't remember it. I'm sure it was meant for someone else."

"I don't care if it was for someone else. You're the one who got it. You might not remember the number, but I can still find out who sent it.", I growl. "What did you think about it?"

"What do you mean what did I think about it? I was repulsed that I was sent a picture of something that I didn't want to see. Do you really think I was admiring it?" It's now Ana who's upset. "I can't believe you'd even ask that.", she snaps while raising up on her knees.

"I'm sorry. I'm just pissed."

"Well don't be pissed at me." Her hands go to the waistband of my boxers. "Nothing could ever compare to this." She pushes the boxers to the floor with one swift tug. She leans forward and wraps her hand around my shaft, stroking it slowly.

"Baby.", I murmur. Her tongue brushes the tip briefly, and she starts licking the base. I place my hands on her shoulders to steady myself. She then eases my cock into her mouth. One of my hands goes to her hair as she tortures me with that delectable mouth of hers. My knees almost give out on me when my release hits. Ana takes every drop and licks her lips.

"Tasty."


	60. Chapter 60

**C POV**

"How's my precious family?", I ask Ana over the phone as I stand at the window in my office, watching rain pelt around me.

"We're good. We've been watching tv and playing. Jamison wanted to go outside and play, but I told him no. There's no way I'm letting him out in this cold and wet weather. It hasn't been long since he got over his ear infection. I was hoping the weather would be better tomorrow, but the forecast is calling for more rain. The bright spot is the weather is supposed to be perfect the day of the party at GEH."

"That's wonderful news. I wouldn't want people to have to venture out into the rain for the party." I move away from the window and pad over to my desk just as one small knock hits the door. Hoping that it's my expected visitor, I go to the door and open it to find Barney standing with a small smile. "Baby, I'm sorry for cutting this short, but my eleven o'clock is here early. I'll call you later."

"Ok.", Ana says. "We love you."

"I love you all too. Bye." I end the call and motion for Barney to enter the office. "Do you have a name?", I ask as I sit down at my desk. He stands in front of the desk and hands me the piece of paper in his hand. I enlisted him to go through Ana's phone records for the number of the scumbag who sent her a picture of his dick.

"The number is at the top of the page, and the caller's name is on the next line.", Barney replies. I take a drink from my water bottle and steel myself to look at the name. Any sort of decent mood I was in evaporates with the name printed on the page. Danny McClaren aka The Stupidest Son of a Bitch Ever. The paper falls from my hand as I try to get calm. "I made sure it was accurate."

"Thank you.", I mutter. "Can you do a trace of the phone so I can see where it is now?"

"Yes sir. I'll get right on it."

* * *

"Can I help you?", the dark haired receptionist asks when I arrive at the front desk of Seattle Golf Club. It didn't take long for Barney to trace Danny's McClaren's location, and it took an even shorter amount of time for me to get to that place.

"I'm looking for Danny McClaren. Do you know if he's out on the course?"

"Mr. McClaren headed towards the dining area a few minutes ago."

"Thanks.", I say on my way to find the dining area. Luckily it only takes a few seconds for me to find it. The only person in the room is seated at a small table by the bar. He looks up and grins when he sees me approaching. "Danny McClaren."

"Christian Grey. Have a seat." Instead of taking the chair he points at, I sit down in the one beside it. "Shouldn't you be in your office, plotting to steal someone else's company?", he murmurs.

"I didn't steal your father's company. I approached him with a reasonable offer which he only accepted after learning of your deception." He raises his glass to his lips and smirks. "Do you even had the least bit of remorse?"

"I've already told you my father has mental problems. What he thought he heard was only in his head, but I'm assuming you didn't come here to talk about my dear old dad."

"You're right.", I snap. "My wife received a picture message yesterday, one that she wishes she had never seen." His smirk grows while he sets his glass down and leans back in his chair. "How did you get her the number?"

"Wait. What? Are you insinuating I sent your wife a message?"

"No. I'm telling you I know you sent it. What disturbs me is it wasn't an ordinary message. It was message containing a photo of your penis." That last word makes me want to reach across the table and knock him into next week. "Did you think she'd like what she saw and want to leave her husband and kids for you?"

"I didn't send your wife a dick pic. If I had, let's just say she wouldn't have been repulsed. She would've loved it.", he gloats as I slam my fists against the table and stand while he remains seated. "Someone's mad."

"You're lucky I don't show you exactly how mad I am. If you try anything else, I won't be so nice.", I snarl.

"Aww. I'm scared.", he jokingly pouts. My shoulders tense up, but I walk away before letting things get even more out control.

* * *

**APOV**

"Has Christian found out who sent you that message?", Gail asks. She stirs a bit of honey into her tea and joins me at the kitchen table where I'm enjoying my tea honey free.

"I'm not sure. He was going to have Barney look into my phone records, but he didn't mention it when I talked to him earlier. People accidentally call or send texts to the wrong number every day so that's probably what happened." _Or what I hope happened._

"You're right. I've had people call me and ask for someone else. They might have only one number wrong. Just a few weeks ago, I got a text from someone asking what I wanted for dinner. I immediately texted back they had the wrong number, but I also added that I wanted pizza for dinner. The message you got was no where near as nice as mine."

"Not in the least." I momentarily become lost in the steam drifting from my cup. The sound of the front door slamming jerks me out of the mental daze. Christian and Taylor are soon standing in the kitchen. "I didn't know you were on your way home."

"I wasn't planning on coming home yet, but I needed to speak with you about the conversation I just had.", Christian says. "Where are the kids?"

"Napping.", I answer. Gail and Taylor's do a sideways glance at each other.

"Jason, Riley's also napping upstairs. How about we go and check on her? We can then go into the living room and look over the list I have in my purse. It's one Sophie made for possible gifts for her birthday which is only a few weeks away.", Gail says.

"Sure.", Taylor nods as he and Gail leave the kitchen. Christian sits down in the chair vacated by Gail.

"Your conversation must have been interesting for you to come home."

"I found out who sent you that message.", he murmurs. "Danny McClaren. I found out he was at the Seattle Golf Club, and I paid him a visit. He denied sending the message, but said you would've loved it if he had."

"There goes my theory of it being a mistake. How could he have gotten my number?"

"Where there's a will there's a way, and I intend to find out his way."

"I've never met Danny McClaren. The only thing I know about the guy is what you've told me. Why in the world would he send me a pic of his penis?"

"Maybe to show you what you thinks you're missing."

"He's sorely mistaken if he thinks I'm missing anything. All he did was prove he's a disgusting pig.", I sigh. "How intense was the conversation?"

"There weren't any punches thrown if you're wondering although I wanted to beat the hell out of him. I raised my voice not my fists.", Christian replies.

"I'm glad. Obviously the guy has an agenda which would've been furthered if things had gotten violent." A loud boom of thunder roars through the house and is soon followed by cries of both Jamison and Delaney. "Want to help me with them?"

"You don't have to ask." He helps me out of my chair and leads into the living room where Taylor and Gail are sitting with Riley who's now wide awake from her nap. The little girl has her arms wrapped around her dad.

* * *

"Thunder bad.", Jamison says as Christian's comforting him in the arm chair of our bedroom where we took the kids when the thunder woke them up. There have been several more rumbles of thunder, but the kids aren't as scared now that Christian and I are holding them.

"Yes it is. It's too loud.", Christian tells Jamison. Delaney raises her head up from my chest and starts giggling for no apparent reason. "What's so funny little lady?"

"She's being silly.", I laugh. "I really hope you're planning on staying home and not going back to the office."

"I wouldn't dare leave this house. I do have a few calls to make for work, but they can wait a while longer. I'm enjoying our little family time."

"Me too. I think we should have one of my rainy day favorites for dinner. Grilled cheese. Does that sound good?"

"Sounds perfect."

* * *

**C POV**

"Rita Young from the Seattle Times is on line one.", April tells me through the intercom. I sign my name to one more document and pick up the phone. Despite yesterday's shit storm, I'm trying to focus on work as much as possible today.

"This is Christian Grey.", I say.

"Mr. Grey, hello. It's Rita Young from the Seattle Times. I conducted an interview with you last year and also have an invite to your remodel party."

"Yes. I remember."

"I'm calling today in regards to a call I received yesterday evening. A gentleman, Danny McClaren, called and said he wants to go public with the story of his affair with your wife. He claimed to be having an affair with your wife. He went on to say the only reason why she's staying with you is so she won't lose her children." I pick up the coffee cup on my desk and throw it, making it shatter into pieces.

"Ms. Young, I promise you the story Mr. McClaren was telling you is nothing but a lie. He and my wife have never met. The man has an issue with me and is now resorting to involving my wife in his plotting.", I snarl.

"I assumed that was the case. You and your wife have a marriage that many dream about, and it was obvious from Mr. McClaren's words that he was lying. He wanted the newspaper to do an article in hopes of helping your wife get free from your clutches. We're in the business of selling news but only news that's accurate and not slanderous. I wanted to let you know what's going on in case he tries to go to other outlets."

"I appreciate you calling to let me know.", I say before ending the call. I look at the photos of Ana and the kids. Those three are my world, and I won't let Danny McClaren tarnish it.


	61. Chapter 61

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"Do you think this dress is ok to wear to the party?" I hold up my burgandy knee length long sleeve dress that Christian surprised me with a few weeks ago.

"Sure.", he mutters with a quick glance at the dress.

"I just want to look nice for the party.", I sigh.

"I really could care less about the damn party right now.", Christian snaps, getting to his feet and storming out of the bedroom. I lay the dress down on the bed and leave the room in search of him. It doesn't take long for me to hear him downstairs where I find him grabbing his coat from the rack.

"Where are you going?" He ignores me and puts the coat on, only stopping when I place my hand on his shoulder. "Christian, it's almost nine o'clock. Where are you going so late?"

"To run an errand.", he says as he releases himself. I'm quick to get in front of the door to block him. "Ana, move."

"Not until you start answering questions. You've been quiet since getting home from work." He looks at the door and back at me. "Stay and talk." Just when I think he's about to ignore my plead, he takes off his coat and motions for me to follow him to the sofa. I'm not sure how much time passes before he finally speaks.

"I made a decision that I thought was a good one at the time, but it seems all it's done is set off a domino effect of nothing but trouble.", he murmurs. "I got a call today from Rita Young who works for the Seattle Times. Danny McClaren approached her about doing a story."

"What was he planning on doing, making you out to be this bad guy who stole his family's company from him?", I ask.

"I wish it had been that simple. He claimed to be having an affair with you. He went on to say the only reason you're still with me is so you could keep the kids." No wonder Christian's been acting like this. "I assured Ms. Young there's no truth to the story, but she already knew that. For one, McClaren couldn't provide proof of the affair. She also knows you and I have a marriage that's strong."

"We do. It's one that's been tested but always survives. I only wish you had told me this earlier instead of trying to run out." Pain resonates in his eyes as he nods. "We're in this together."

"I was angry at him for trying to tarnish our marriage. I was also angry at myself for giving him the opportunity to come after us. I can handle him running my name through the mud but not you. With the takeover not yet official, I can probably get out of it. Maybe walking away will help get us some peace."

"You've never been one to give up on a business deal, and I won't let you start now."

"Ana.", he sighs while I caress the side of his face.

"You had a moment of doubt, and that's ok. The situation isn't easy. What matters is that you get up and let Danny McClaren know he's made the biggest mistake of his life by trying to go after you. It also helps that you've got me by your side." His mouth cracks into a smile.

"How did I get so lucky to have you by my side?"

"Hmm." I tap my index finger against my chin before grinning. "You see I also got lucky with you. Together, we have an abundance of luck."

* * *

"Are you kidding me?!", Mia hisses while slamming her glass on the coffee table. "I didn't mean to almost break the glass. I'm just furious about that son of a..." She stops when she sees Jamison nearing us. She could see I had something on my mind when she arrived at the house so I filled her in what's going on with Danny McClaren.

"You and me both. He should've known his ploy of going to the newspaper was going to backfire on him. He had no evidence of the affair."

"Sadly his lie might have been printed if he had gone to one of those gossip sites. Some of them will print anything."

"They'd be taking the huge risk of having Christian go after them for slander.", I say while getting up to get a fussy Delaney out of her bouncy seat. "Shhh. It's ok." Jamison toddles over to the sofa and climbs up next to Mia. "Mia, I was...no I'm still worried about Christian. He seemed to calm down a great deal last night after our talk, yet I can still see the turmoil in him."

"Not to sound cheesy, but you're Christian's light. You're the one who helped him see his true self. He'd do anything to keep you and the kids safe."

"He said he's not going to use violence."

"I hope he's telling the truth." _Me too._

* * *

**C POV**

"Danny's always been determined. Once he sets on his mind on something, he does whatever it takes to achieve it.", Kurt McClaren says, sitting across from me in my office. At my request, he came to GEH so I could tell him about the games his son's been playing.

"I'd say he's really stooped low this time.", Ros murmurs from the chair next to him. "We all know in business people will work hard to get deals, but what your son has done isn't professional in the least."

"You're right about that.", I tell Ros. "Involving my wife is the lowest of the low. It had me so upset last night that I was close to giving up on our deal." Both Ros and Kurt's eyes widen in shock. "Luckily Ana talked me off the ledge."

"Good.", Ros replies. "Now what are we going to do next?"

"I've been mulling over that question since I got off the phone with the Times reporter. Kurt, I'm sorry for saying this, but I was ready to kick your son's ass. However, that would only make Danny happy. He wants me to do something that'll make me out to be the bad guy."

"Danny hasn't spoken to me since he stormed out of my office the other day, but if you can get him to meet with you, I might be able to help put a stop to his scheming.", Kurt says. Ros and I look at each other.

"I'll call him."

* * *

"Christian, I don't want you to mess up your newly remodeled office.", Ana says while I sit at my desk the next day and wait for Danny McClaren to arrive. I told Ana last night about Kurt's offer to help me, and she was immediately concerned about things getting out of control.

"I'll try to keep the amount of thrown furniture to a minimum.", I joke. Not hearing a laugh is a clear sign she didn't find the joke funny. "Sorry. I won't act out what's going on in my head."

"Ok. I'm going to go and check on the kids. Be careful."

"I will." We say I love you to each other and end the call just as Andrea opens my door and mouths Danny's here. I nod and get out of my chair to welcome the bastard. He waltzes in with the cockiest grin I've ever seen. "Thank you for coming."

"Considering how our last conversation ended, I was anxious to find out why you wanted to see me.", he smirks, sitting down in one of the chairs. He adjusts his gray and white striped tie and smiles. "So...why am I here?"

"Did you really think you could go to the Times with a fabricated story and not have me find out?", I hiss. "How can you be having an affair with my wife if you've never met her? I'll answer that for you. You're a lying piece of shit who made himself look like a damn fool by not having proof of the so called affair."

"Maybe I'm having a mental affair with your wife. I've seen photos of her. She's a lovely woman who seems to be sweet and too good for you. She needs a real man." I lunge towards him and grab his tie, only to see the amusement on his face. "Aww. Are you trying to prove yourself." Ana's plead to be careful rushes to the front of my head. I release him and settle behind my desk.

"Let's just be honest for a second. Why are you doing all of this?", I ask.

"My father's company was going to be mine once he stepped down. It was going to be me who people talked about. Ever since I've been working at the company, he's the one who everyone credits for things. My time to shine was finally going to happen, but you had to ruin it."

"You were going to destroy your father's company with your restructuring plan. Do you think people would've been understanding?"

"The business world isn't always sunshine and roses." He turns at the sound of the door opening. Standing in the doorway is his father. "What are you doing here?"

"I arranged this meeting.", Kurt answers as he steps inside the office. "I heard about what you've been doing, and it's going to stop."

"Or what? Are you going to ground me?", Danny chuckles. Kurt shakes his head and pads over to one of the chairs which he positions next to my desk. He then holds up the file he brought with him. "What's that?"

"It's some paperwork you might be interested in. Remember how you're supposed to get the trust fund your grandfather set up when you turn thirty?"

"Of course. I'm only a month away from getting hold of the five million dollar trust fund."

"Do you remember the clause?" The scowl on Danny's face is evidence he know the clause. Kurt hands me the file which I start reading.

"There's a morals clause stating Danny mustn't do anything or act a certain way which will degrade his image." I set the file down on the desk and grin. "You've obviously broken that clause."

"I was chosen to oversee the trust, meaning I'm the one who decides whether or not you break the clause.", Kurt tells his son.

"And you've decided I've violated the clause.", Danny murmurs.

"I'm leaning towards it, but I might give you another chance if you sign a piece of paper saying you won't continue your vendetta against Mr. Grey. If you sign it, you not only get to keep your trust fund, but you also get to stay in both my will and your mother's."

"Huh?"

"Your mother isn't as clueless about all of this as you might think. She's heartbroken. We both had new wills drawn up although they haven't been officially signed. Should you refuse my offer, you'll be left with nothing. So, is what you're doing worth losing everything?" The cockiness in Danny's face is no longer there. He nows appears to be a defeated man. "It's not too late to make things right. You're still my son who I love."

"Even after all I've done, you still love me?", Danny scoffs.

"Yes." Kurt wipes tears from his eyes. "Come on. Do the right thing." Danny blows out a breath and glances at me as if he's waiting on my thoughts.

"Money and power might seem like the best things in the world, but they're nothing compared to family.", I say. "I know from experience."

"Fine. I'll back off.", Danny mutters.


	62. Chapter 62

**A/N: I don't normally respond to guest reviews, but I couldn't help but acknowledge the one I received for chapter 61. **_**"This is useless to read." **_**Why wait until you're 61 chapters in to make this comment? You're welcome to your own opinion, but I won't be discouraged. ****Writing fanfiction is something I do as an escape from real life which at times can be overwhelming and stressful. I've been tempted to throw my hands up at times and stop writing, but then I realize I like doing it and like making my own spin on the characters. I'm one of those people who believe if something truly makes you happy, do it. Don't let others dictate what you can or can't do. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"I can't wait for you to see it too. Bye." I press end on my call and start gathering my things before leaving for work. Jamison comes running out of the kitchen and holds his arms up for me to pick him up. "Daddy was about to come and see you before I had to leave." The grin on my face widens as Ana joins us, holding Delaney in her arms. "I was going to see you two ladies too. Charles called and said he's looking forward to the party."

"I think everyone is.", Ana smiles. My own excitement level about the party is at an all time high mainly due to the fact that Danny McClaren's games have stopped. "I'm assuming you're going to be home pretty early so you can get ready."

"Yes. I've given everyone permission to leave at three. That'll give them plenty of time to get ready while the cleaners come in and get the building looking spiffy."

"Mary said she'll be there at five to start getting the food setup."

"Great.", I murmur as I sit down with Jamison still in my arms. "I'll get going in a bit. I just need to catch my breath.

"Are you ok?", Ana asks. She and Jamison are both looking at me with worry.

"I'm fine, just nervous. The remodel is a big step for the company, and I want everyone to love it as much as me."

"There's no need to worry because every single person is going to love it, and they're going to tell everyone they know about it." Ana's voice soothes away my worry.

"I'm glad I'm going to have you and the kids along with our other loved ones there. I want you all to share the experience with me."

* * *

"Marshall Denmore from human resources needs you to sign off on these." April hands me a few papers as Andrea rushes into the office with a larger stack of papers in her hand.

"These were just faxed and need to be signed.", Andrea says. I take the papers from her and place them with those from Andrea. I stretch my head and look around the two who turn to see what I'm looking at.

"Just making sure no one else has papers for me to sign.", I laugh.

"I believe that's all there is.", April replies. "By the way, thank you for letting everyone go home early today. I've already got my outfit for tonight laid out so I'm going to use the extra time to sneak in a nap. Bryce said he's getting off duty early as well and is going to pick up Alex from his mom's."

"Tonight is just as much about all of you. The remodel was noisy and messy at times, yet everyone dealt with it well."

"Because we knew the end result was going to be amazing.", Andrea says. "We'll let you get to signing those papers." She and April leave the office as my phone rings with a call from Grant Sullivan.

"Grant, hi."

"Mr. Grey, hello. I'm sure you're very busy, but I wanted to check something out with you. I'm bringing my parents with me tonight, but I was wondering if it would be ok if I brought along my friend Claire. We've been friends since we were little, and I'd like for her to see the work I did on the building. It's ok if I can't. I just thought I'd ask.", Grant murmurs.

"You're welcome to bring your friend and anyone else you'd like to invite. I want you to be able to show off the incredible work you did on the building."

"Thank you sir. I'll see you tonight.", he says excitedly.

* * *

**A POV**

"Jamison, hold on to your cup.", I say while we stand by the new fountain in GEH's downstairs lobby. He tries to hand me the cup, but I shake my head. "You can hold it just don't drop it." He grins and takes a drink from the sippy cup as Grace and Carrick walk through the entrance.

"Hi.", Jamison tells his grandparents.

"Hello there.", Grace beams, greeting us with hugs. "I thought we were going to be early, but there's already a large turnout." She's right. At least fifty people are already here in the first half hour of the party. People are taking tours throughout the building as well as enjoying the food that's set up on the other side of the lobby.

"Christian can't believe there are so many people here, but I can.", I reply.

"Speaking of Christian, where is he?", Carrick asks while taking Delaney from me.

"He's showing the other floors to Charles and my dad. I'm not as good of a tour guide as him, but I can try my best."

"Lead the way.", Grace laughs. We walk across the lobby and step inside the elevator which Christian, Charles, and my dad are stepping off. "There they are."

"Hi guys. I was showing Charles and Ray around.", Christian says.

"It's very impressive.", my dad smiles. "I love the flooring and lighting."

"I'm anxious to see it.", Carrick replies as Elliot, Spencer, Mia, and Ben arrive. "When Christian said we could get a look at it before the party, I was tempted to accept his offer, but I'm glad I waited. The built up suspense made it better."

"But you haven't even seen the rest of it yet.", Christian laughs, picking Jamison up.

"I've got a feeling it's going to be incredible."

"Hey.", Elliot waves at everyone. "Can you believe we're here this early? Spencer didn't take as long getting ready as she usually does." Spencer responds with a harsh glare. "Have you told you how much I love you?"

"You're only trying to save yourself from sleeping on the sofa.", Mia teases Elliot. She glances over her shoulder at the food. "Do I spy mini tacos?"

"Help yourself.", I giggle. She loops her arm in Ben's and heads to the food while the rest of our group starts exploring around.

* * *

"Mr. and Mrs. Grey, hi." We've just finished our tour and see Grant Sullivan walking towards us with an older couple and a young woman. I met Grant during one of my visits to GEH, and he seemed like a down to earth and eager guy. "I'd like for you to meet my parents, William and Karen Sullivan."

"It's nice to meet you.", Christian says as we shake hands with Grant's parents. The young woman stands close to Grant and smiles.

"And this is my very good friend Claire Olsen."

"Claire, hi.", I smile.

"Hello.", Claire replies. "Grant's been telling me all about his project here, and I must say it's even greater than he described."

"Really?", Grant asks, blushing. I sense some underlying feelings between the two friends.

"Of course. Grant's always been talented and dedicated. He sets his mind on something and goes for it. I'm proud of the man he's become."

"His mother and I are as well.", Grant's father says.

"As you all should be.", Christian tells them. "I was impressed with Grant from the first moment I met him. I could see he actually loved his work and put heart into it. He might only be starting out, yet he's got a bright future ahead of him."

* * *

**C POV**

"Still nervous?", Ana asks. With the night only half over, we're taking at a break at one of the tables that have been set up in the lobby. Carol took over for Mary at the food station so Mary and Ray took Jamison and Delaney home with them.

"Only a tad.", I shrug. She leans down and rubs her ankle. "Are your shoes bothering you?"

"Only a tad.", she giggles. "Jamison and Delaney seemed to have a nice evening."

"Yeah, but they were getting sleepy towards the end." I stiffle a yawn and stretch my arms. "Now that my worrying is over, I can rest peacefully tonight."

"Sleep is exactly what I'm ready for.", a weary eyed Mia mutters when she and Ben walk over to the table. "We're going to head out, but I wanted to tell you one more time how amazing the transformation was. The building was already nice, but now it feels calming and inviting."

"The old style was a depiction of my old life. I was all about business and nothing else. I'm about more now and wanted to showcase that with the remodel."

"You are definitely about more now.", Ana says tenderly.


	63. Chapter 63

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"Whatever you're reading must be very interesting.", I tell Christian as I look over at him. He's seated at the end of the table with his face buried in the Seattle Times. He sets the paper down and takes a drink of his coffee which seems to be difficult considering the grin etched on his face.

"I just finished reading the Times article on the party. It said "Walking into the newly remodeled GEH is like a breath of fresh air." I'm so happy that everyone likes it."

"I told you they would. I can get more copies of the paper. I'll even cut the article from one and frame it for you to put in your office.", I say while spreading some grape jam on my toast.

"Would it be silly if I also had one framed for the study?", Christian asks.

"It wouldn't be silly at all. I'll grab some frames while I'm out wedding dress shopping with Spencer. Actually Spencer called it wedding dress browsing. She's going today to kind of get a feel of what kind of dress she wants. She's found some nice ones in magazines but wants to see them in person. I'm going to pick the kids up on the way home." The kids spent the night with my dad and Mary, and when I mentioned going shopping with Spencer, they said they'd be ok with watching the kids longer.

"Your dad told me on the phone last night that Jamison and Delaney had fallen asleep almost as soon as they got to the house.", Christian says as he takes out his phone. "How about we call to see if they're awake yet?" Christian dials my dad's number and presses the speaker button.

"Hello.", my dad answers.

"Ray, hi. Ana and I were having breakfast and thought we'd call to see if you all were up yet.

"Hi Dad.", I say, moving to the chair next to Christian. I can hear jabbering and laughing in the background. "Is that the kids?"

"It is.", he answers cheerfully. "They've both been awake for a while. Jamison ate one and a half pancakes, and Delaney had almost a full bowl of cereal. Now that they've got their bellies full, they're watching cartoons and having a nice time. Of course Mary and I are having a blast as well."

"I'm glad you all are having fun. Give the kids hugs and kisses from us."

"I will."

* * *

"Spencer, come out so I can see." The curtain opens, and Spencer carefully steps out in a tight fitted one shoulder mermaid dress. The dress is pretty, but I instantly see discomfort on Spencer's face. "What do you think?"

"I like the one shoulder look of the dress. That's about all I like. Look at me. I can barely move in the thing. I'd have to hop down the aisle." I erupt into into giggles at the mental image of her hopping down the aisle. "You're picturing it, aren't you?"

"Yeah.", I nod. "Hop back in the dressing room, and we'll get to another choice." I sit down in the chair and wait for her to finish changing out of the dress and into another she took in with her. She reemerges a few minutes later in another one shoulder dress that's flowing and gives off a Grecian goddess vibe. "Spencer, I like that one."

"Really?" She twirls around and stares in the mirror as one of the sales associates makes her way over to us.

"That dress looks like it was made for you.", the woman tells Spencer.

"I do like it. Would it be ok if I kept it on for a while longer to help make up my mind?", Spencer asks.

"Take all the time you need. I'll be at the counter if you need me." Spencer and I are left alone for her to admire the dress.

"Spencer, Ana, hi." Spencer and I turn to find Marcie Reese, one of our old high school classmates.

"Marcie, hi.", I say. "It's been a long time. How are you?"

"I'm great, and according to all I've seen in the papers you are're great as well. Congrats on your marriage and children."

"Thanks. Life is good for me as well as for Spencer. We're here looking at wedding dresses for her big day."

"Oh my goodness. Spencer, congratulations. I'm so happy you're going to be part of the marriage club.", Marcie grins. "I myself like the club so much that I'm on my third marriage. The first one lasted only four months before I found out he was cheating with his brother's wife. The second ended when he turned out to be a loser who had no motivation. I'm now married to a guy who has a job and seems to be able to keep it in his pants. Of course time will tell."

"Fortunately Elliot's the one and only man I'm ever going to marry. He's loving and makes me laugh.", Specer sighs.

"I hope that stays the same." Marice turns around and waves at a blonde haired woman. "I see my cousin has arrived. She's getting married so we're going to look for dresses. It really was nice to see you guys again."

"Yeah. You too.", I murmur before Marcie walks away. "Spencer, please tell me her words aren't affecting you."

"Not at all.", Spencer scoffs. "I feel bad that Marcie hasn't found a love so strong that she doesn't have to doubt it."

* * *

**C POV**

"Everyone, I'd like for you to officially meet Christian Grey, the new owner.", Kurt McClaren tells the department heads of the company he built and which I now own. The men and women are gathered around the long table in the conference room of the McClaren Corporation headquarters.

"Hello.", I say with an authentic smile aimed at all of them. As you heard I'm the new owner of the company. Often when people hear of changes in ownership they worry about how their job will be affected. I'm here to tell you today that your jobs will only be affected in a positive way. I'm not here to change the way you do your work. I'm here to cheer you and urge you to continue doing things the way you've been doing. Mr. McClaren is a man who I greatly respect. I gave him my word that I'll keep this company strong, and I plan on keeping my promise. Does anyone have any questions?" A middle aged man seated on the left side of the table raises his hand. "Yes."

"Mr. Grey, I'm Walt Parsons, head of human resources. I've been working here for twenty years, and while I'm hopeful, I'm also leery. You say things aren't going to change, but how do we know you're saying that just to appease us?"

"I'm giving you my word. The employees of this company have helped shaped it into into the great business that it is, and I want to preserve it."

"Mr. Grey is very much like me in how he started his company from scratch.", Kurt replies. "He values his employees and respect the work they do."

"I've heard nice things about you.", a woman appearing to be in her late fifties tells me. "I'm Rene Cade, and I'm head of the IT department.

"Thank you. I intend to make sure what you've heard is validated.", I say. "The company is going to remain under the same name, and even though Mr. McClaren is stepping away from day to day duties, but he's agreed to stay on as an advisor who I look forward working with just as I do with all of you."

* * *

"I'm sorry I didn't go with you to meet with the department heads.", Ros says as we're sitting in my office following my return to GEH.

"It's ok. Your mom needed you, and family comes first." Ros's mother had to have her eyes dilated during her eye checkup, and Ros was the only one who could drive to and from the appointment so I urged her to skip the meeting. "How was your mom's appointment?"

"Everything was good.", she replies, sitting back in her chair. "How did your meeting go?"

"It went better than I expected. I walked in there with the the thought they were all going to despise me, but they didn't. Naturally they've got concerns, but I'm going to do my best to ease them."

"They were probably scared of you, but once they get to know you they'll see you're nothing but a big teddy bear."

"Everyone here at this company is like one big family, and I want those from McClaren to feel like they're part of that dynamic. Will it be an overnight thing? No. Yet I have hopes that they'll see we're all in on the same team."

"They will. Just give them time."


	64. Chapter 64

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"Hey there." Mary greets Ros and me when we arrive at the diner. "How are you two?"

"Good, but I'll be even better when I have one of those delicious cheeseburgers you serve.", Ros replies as we settle at one of the booths.

"I'll have the same along with some fries.", I tell Mary. "To drink I'll have a water with lemon."

"I'm going to go all out and add onion rings and a milkshake to mine.", Ros laughs.

"I'll get your orders in to the cook and be right back with your drinks.", Mary says before heading to the kitchen.

"Are you sure you didn't want me to bring those files so we could look at them during lunch?"

"I'm sure. We've been working all morning and deserve to have some down time.", I reply. Mary returns to the table and sets down our drinks. "Thank you."

"Your food will be here soon. So, how are things in the corporate world?", Mary asks.

"Busy. We're in the process of taking over the McClaren Corporation. We're not changing things, but there's still getting to know the new staff. We met with the department heads the other day, and most seemed to be on board. There are still a few who might not be a hundred percent, but I'm confident they'll come around."

"New things can be scary, yet I'm sure everyone will see that GEH is a great company." The bell dings in the kitchen window. "That'll be your order." She walks away briefly and returns with our plates. "Here you go. I'll be back around in a bit to check on you." Once Mary's left the table, Ros and I dive into our food.

"This is the burger I've been dreaming about.", Ros moans. "I went to a place not far from my house last night. I ordered a burger, and it was nothing like this. It was a patty and barely had any lettuce on it. It wasn't lacking mustard which was doused all over it. This burger definitely makes up for last night's disappointment." She takes another bite and glances towards the door. "Check it out." I slowly turn around and see Grant Sullivan and his friend Claire. Grant says something to her that causes her to blush. They appear to be in their own little world until Grant spots our table.

"Mr. Grey, Ms. Bailey, hello.", Grant says. "You remember Claire, right?"

"Yes. It's good to see you both.", I answer.

"The food at the remodel party was amazing, and Grant said the woman behind the recipes owns this place so I couldn't say no when he asked me to lunch.", Claire says as her eyes lock onto Grant's.

"It's one of the best places around.", Ros nods. "Grant, I'm still having people tell me how much they love the work you did on GEH."

"It was an experience that's going to stay with me for the rest of my life. I thank you and Mr. Grey for giving me the opportunity to do the work.", Grant says modestly. "We're going to go and check out the menus. Enjoy the rest of your lunch." His hand is wrapped around Claire's as they go to a table by the window.

"He's smitten.", I tell Ros.

"Well, he's not the only one. Claire's clearly a woman in love. They say they're friends, but something tells me they'll end up being more."

* * *

"I'm almost afraid to ask what happened." I pad into the bedroom and see Ana surrounded by a mound of clothes. Delaney's watching with amusement from her bouncy seat.

"Jamison is what happened.", she sighs. "I came in here to put away some freshly laundered clothes, and he decided to take throw them on the floor."

"Where's he at now?", I ask. Ana points to the closet where the door is halfway open. I place my finger to my lips and tiptoe over to Delaney, giving her a kiss before over to the closet. "I guess he's not in here." Hearing the sound of his giggling, I ease the door open.

"Dada!", he shouts as he jumps into my waiting arms. I ruffle his hair and kiss his cheeks.

"I saw what you did." He narrows his eyes at the pile and pouts. "It's ok." I set him down on the floor. "How about we clean this up for Mommy?"

"K.", he murmurs. He starts picking up socks which he puts in a new pile next to Delaney's seat. She's watching every move her big brother makes.

"Good job.", Ana tells Jamison.

* * *

**A POV**

"Did you have any weird dreams when you were pregnant with the kids?", Mia asks while she walks beside me as I push the kids' double stroller on a pathway in the park.

"I had a crazy one that involved me being chased by a bunch of tacos.", I giggle. "Of course it came after I had tacos earlier that night for dinner. I'm guessing you've had a weird dream."

"I had one last night. I went to pick up the baby, and when I looked down at the face, it was a boy."

"Oh gosh. I know you and Ben decided not to find out, but your dream could be a sign you're having a boy." We stop at a bench and sit down.

"I should've been more specific. The baby was actually a man.", she murmurs. "It was Ben. His face looked like it normally does, but he had the body of a baby." I try not to laugh at the image being painted by Mia. "What do you think the dream meant?"

"I don't think it was a sign the baby's going to have the face of a grown man. It probably didn't mean anything. Did you tell Ben about it?" I look down at the kids who are observing a nearby flock of birds.

"I did, and he laughed. I then might have exaggerated how upset I was in an effort to get a massage."

"Did it work?", I ask her.

"It did. I got a back massage _and _a foot massage. He then offered to cook dinner which was a nice and touching gesture, but I suggested we do take out instead."

"Is he still enjoying the clinic?"

"He loves it. The front desk receptionists are two older women who treat him as if he's their grandson. Of course he misses his coworkers from the hospital, but the hours are great.", she says. A light breeze pushes past us. "It's getting a little chilly."

"Yeah. We should probably get going."

* * *

"I can't wait for Friday night.", I hear Sophie telling Gail when I walk into the kitchen. Gail's alternating between cooking dinner and helping Sophie with her homework.

"You're going to have fun.", Gail says.

"It might be none of my business, but what's happening Friday night?", I ask while grabbing a yogurt.

"Sophie's going to a slumber party at one of her friend's. Jason wasn't sure about it at first."

"He finally said I could go as long as we didn't sneak out or invite boys over.", Sophie murmurs. "All we're going to do is watch movies and eat lots of junk food."

"Your dad is a typical dad. He wants to make sure you're safe at all times.", I reply.

"I understand and think it's sweet."

"You might be thinking otherwise when you're sixteen.", Gai laughs.


	65. Chapter 65

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy! **

**A POV**

"Have either of you heard of Danson's Diner?", Mary asks Christian and me while we're sitting in the living room following dinner.

"I haven't.", I reply.

"It's a diner chain. They've got several locations in the state.", Christian replies while sitting in the floor with the kids. "They supposedly have food that tastes as if it were homemade. Why do you ask?"

"She's asking because Danson's Diner is opening a location down the street from her diner. They're going to be in the building that used to be an cell phone store. Mary's worried about business being hurt at the diner.", my dad says, looking at Mary with a smile which she tries to return.

"I'm trying not to be worried. Other restaurants have opened in the area, yet they haven't hurt my business. However, from what I've heard and read, Danson's Diner is going to be stiff competition.", Mary murmurs over her cup of tea.

"People will go there out of curiosity, but I'm certain they'll see there's a major difference in your food and theirs.", I tell Mary. "One thing about chain restaurants is they're often more concerned with money and not about the actual customer. You, on the other hand, are the opposite. You make sure the food is superior. You're also attentive to the customers."

"Ana's right.", Christian adds. "One of the first things that drew me to the diner was how comfortable you make the people feel."

"Here I was thinking I was the first thing that drew you to the diner.", I tease him. He responds by sticking out his tongue which is then repeated by Jamison. "He's his father's child."

"Sister do it.", Jamison says, pointing to Delaney who has her tongue out.

"I already feel a little better.", Mary giggles as she watches the kids.

* * *

"I'm going to set the alarm on my phone for five.", Christian says with a yawn. "Ros and I are spending the entire day at McClaren, and we figured the earlier we get there the better."

"Set the the clock on the nightstand for six thirty although I might get up when you do." I rub some lotion on my hands and pad into the bedroom where Christian's pulling the covers back on the bed.

"You don't have to get up when I do. You should sleep longer." He holds his hand out and helps me into bed.

"I'm not saying I won't sleep longer, but it's often difficult sleeping when I know you're not next to me. When I turn over, my arm lands on the empty spot next to me, and that ends up making me unable to go back to sleep."

"I wish I could sleep in longer, but I might have a solution. I could get a life size doll that looks like me.", he grins. "Maybe I could put a pair of my pajama pants on it and even spray some of my cologne."

"That's creepy as hell.", I laugh. "Besides, a Christian Grey doll would be nothing like the real thing." I push him on to his back and straddle him. My fingers glide down his bare chest and down towards the waistband of pajama pants. He pulls me tighter against him, and our lips latch together.

"You're right a doll being nothing like me. There's no way it could be anatomically correct.", he smirks as I feel his hardness beneath me. We start making out heavily and are about to start removing clothes when Jamison cries. "I'll check on him." He eases me off of him and gets up to check on Jamison. I raise up in the bed and wait for him to return. When he does, he's holding a teary eyed Jamison.

"Sweet boy, what's the matter?", I ask.

"I think he had a bad dream.", Christian shrugs while getting back on the bed with Jamison.

"Awww. Mommy and Daddy will chase those bad dreams away." Christian places Jamison between us. "You can stay in here with us for a while." I look over at Christian. "Rain check?"

"Of course."

* * *

**C POV**

"Greg, please come in and have a seat.", Kurt McClaren says to the man who's just arrived in the boardroom at McClaren. According to Kurt, Greg Barrett, has worked at McClaren for twenty years and is the most suited for the job of company president.

"Ok.", Mr. Barrett murmurs nervously. He sits on the right side of the table and rubs his hands together.

"Mr. Barrett, I can see you're nervous, and I assure you there's no need to be.", Ros says softly.

"I'd like to not be, but when you're asked to meet with the new owner of your work, it often doesn't end out well."

"I assure you that's not the case here.", I tell him. "Mr. McClaren has nothing but kind words about you. You've been dedicated to this company for twenty years, helping shape it into the great place that is. Everyone likes you. That's why we'd like for you to be the company president." Mr. Barrett's eyes widen in shock.

"Not that I don't appreciate the honor because I do very much, but I'm not sure I have what it takes."

"You do. I believe in you and your ability to help the company during this transition and beyond.", Kurt says. "I have the utmost confidence in you."

"I've looked over files from work you've done, and you were extremely throrough. There are also glowing remarks from both clients and coworkers. Like Mr. McClaren, I believe you can do the job.", I say as Mr. Barrett appears to be relaxing. "You can do the job on a trial basis during which at any point you want to step away, you can."

"All right. Thank you for the opportunity."

* * *

"Jamison, don't run." He glances over his shoulder and grins. "You're adorable when you grin, but I still don't want you to run." With Ana having a night out with Gail, Taylor and I are watching the kids. Taylor returns to the living room with Riley at his side.

"Here's some juice.", Taylor says while handing Jamison and Riley their cups.

"Tank you.", Jamison says, taking a big drink before resuming his playing.

"Where did Sophie go?", I ask Taylor.

"She's working on her homework in the kitchen. "Have you heard from Ana?"

"Not since she texted me about thirty minutes ago. They're probably in the middle of eating."

"I hope they're having a great time. Both of them work so hard and deserve a night out."

"Uh.", Sophie groans from the doorway. She staggers into the living room and falls back into one of the arm chairs. "I need to take a break from my homework."

"Take a break and rest your eyes a while.", Taylor replies. She tucks her bottom lip out and stares at him with doey eyes. "If you're looking at me like that with hopes that I'll do your homework, you're wasting your time. I'll be glad to help you, but you have to do the work yourself. Otherwise you won't learn and be able to use the knowledge." She then looks over at me.

"Nice try but no. I agree with your dad.", I laugh as the front door opens. In rushes Ana and Sawyer who are holding up Gail. "What happened?"

"We were leaving dinner when Gail fell in a small rut in the parking lot.", Ana answers.

"I'm fine. I only turned my ankle.", Gail shrugs while easing down on the sofa. Taylor hurries over to her side. "Jason, I said I'm fine."

"I think we should go to the hospital and get it checked out.", Taylor tells her.

"Ana and Sawyer already told me the same thing, but I don't think it's necessary. All I need to do is go home and prop it up."

"What about the owner of the restaurant?", I ask. "I really hope they were made aware of what happened."

"The owner happened to be on his way out the door and saw what happened.", Sawyer replies. "He instantly ran over to check on Gail. The guy was very nice and offered to pay for any medical bills."

"But there aren't going to be any medical bills.", Gail says. "I'm fine."

"Even so, we should get you home.", Taylor tells her while picking her up. "Sophie, go get your things." Sophie nods and scurries to the kitchen. "Sawyer, could you help with Riley?" Taylor turns and sees that Sawyer's already got Riley in his arms. "Thanks." Riley returns with her backpack and coat. "I guess we're out of here."

"Gail, take care of yourself.", Ana says.

"I will, and I'm sorry our night out ended on a bad note."

"It's ok. We had a nice dinner before the mishap." The Taylors and Sawyer head out of house. Ana picks up Delaney who was crawling in her mom's direction. "How were things here tonight?"

"It was relatively calm. We had dinner and some ice cream for dessert."

"Oh. Ice cream sounds delicous. Gail and I both decided to skip dessert after our dinner, but I'm now regretting it.", Ana murmurs, sitting down with Delaney while Jamison climbs on to the cushion next to her.

"We still have plenty.", I say as I stand. "Would you like it in a bowl or cone?"

"Christian, I'm capable of fixing my own ice cream."

"I realize that, but I want to get it for you. Besides, don't you remember that one part of the marriage vows I recited to you? I promise to get you ice cream for as long as we both shall live."


	66. Chapter 66

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**A POV**

"Sophie, I may not be up to date with the latest fashion trends, but you're wearing two different shoes.", Christian says as he finishes his coffee before he and Taylor drop Sophie off at school."

"It's homecoming week at school, and today is mismatch day. I've also got on two different colors of socks.", she answers with a grin.

"I've worn two different colors of socks before, but that was only because I couldn't find the matches of each pair.", Sawyer laughs.

"Ana, I almost forgot to tell you there's going to be a delivery sometime this morning." I glance up from feeding Delaney and narrow my eyes. "I bought the kids a new swingset."

"And you're just now telling me this?, I ask. "Thanks for keeping me in the loop." Regret flashes across his face as he sets his cup down and sits down in the chair next to Jamison's high chair.

"I'm sorry. It was a last minute purchase that I made yesterday. I know the kids already have swings, but it would be nice to go ahead and get them a full swingset. I can cancel it."

"No. I don't want you to cancel it. I just want you to start letting me know these things."

"I will." He stands and kisses me and the kids. "Taylor, Sophie, are you you guys ready?"

"Yep.", Sophie answers as she grabs her backpack. She glances at Taylor who's texting. "Dad?"

"Oh. I was just texting Gail that I love her and Riley." Fortunately, Gail's recovered from her turned ankle and is back on her feet although she's not working today since she's taking Riley for a checkup.

"Tell her the same from me too." Sophie's wide smile is a clear sign of the love she has for both Gail and Riley.

"It just occured to me that in a few years Jamison's going to have a backpack.", I sigh as Jamison grins. "Then Delaney's going to be right behind him."

"It'll be ok.", Christian assures me.

* * *

"Ana, what's with those two huge boxes in the backyard?", Candace asks as she looks out the kitchen window. She and Candace stopped by the house after their afternoon classes ended. We're hanging out in the kitchen while the kids nap.

"Those boxes contain the kids' new swingset that Christian bought. The delivery men brought it early this morning, and Christian's going to put it together tomorrow."

"I bet the kids are going to love it.", Maxie adds.

"I'm sure they will. We've already got outdoor swings for them, but Christian felt they were going to need something bigger even though it'll be a while before they can use the monkey bars."

"Don't mention monkey bars.", Candace mutters. She takes a long sip of her water and exhales a deep breath. "I had a bad experience when I was ten. My parents had just gotten my brother and me a new swingset. My brother, being the older and according to him better kid, decided he was going to get on the monkey bars first. I ran and jumped on the monkey bars before he could get up on them."

"Go Candace.", I giggle.

"If only things had turned out better. I ended up falling and breaking my left arm. I never again got on them."

"Aww. Accidents happen. You shouldn't have let that keep you from getting back on them.", Maxie says.

"It's ok.", Candace shrugs. "Ana, did Mary tell you about Dawson's Diner opening up down the street?"

"She did. I can tell she's worried about her business taking a hit, but I don't think it'll be so bad. There are many regulars who come to Mary's because of the good food and hospitality. They appreciate being treated as more than just customers."

"I like going to places like that.", Maxie says. "I can't tell you how many restaurants I've been in where I didn't feel comfortable. Cooper and I went to this little bistro last week. We had heard wonderful things about the place so we decided to give it a try. We got there early to beat the usual dinner rush so the place wasn't full at all. That didn't stop us from having to wait for a waitress to bring us menus. She then took forever to bring our drinks. Of course that wait for nothing compared to how long we had to wait for our food. Both Cooper and I ordered steaks which we wanted well done. They were brought up with blood dripping from them. The waitress got a little snippy when we asked for her to take them back. It was upsetting because we were expecting all the wonderful things we had heard about. Instead it was a major let down."

"I'm assuming there wasn't a tip left."

"No way. The waitress probably thought she was going to get one, but she was mistaken. The point is that wouldn't have happened at Mary's. You get great service and delicious food."

"It's also one of the best places to work.", Candace replies. "Mary doesn't talk down to us. She treats us with respect and is good with listening. Ana, you know what I mean."

"It's certainly been a while since I worked there, but I still remember how great it was to work there."

* * *

**C POV**

"Elliot, where are the instructions?", I ask, searching for the instructions that came with the new swingset I bought for the kids. Elliot stands planted by one of the trees. "Earth to Elliot!"

"We don't need instructions.", he shrugs. "You and I are both intelligent guys who are capable of building a small swingset without the help of some stupid instructions."

"Although I'm intelligent, That small swingset is where my kids will be playing, and I want it to be extremely safe." Elliot finally moves from his spot and walks over to me.

"Um...you only said you're intelligent."

"That's right.", I laugh. "Because I'm not the one who thinks we shouldn't use instructions." The kitchen door opens, and Ana steps out with Delaney bundled up in her arms while Jamison is in Spencer's. "Hey. We're getting everything together, and then we're going to get started."

"You might want these.", Ana says as she holds the instructions up in her free hand.

"I told him we didn't need them.", Elliot scoffs.

"Elliot, sweetheart, you need the instructions.", Spencer smiles. "Ana and I made some sandwiches if you want one." Elliot runs to the door and kisses Spencer's on the cheek.

"Yes! I've worked up on appetite."

"You haven't done anything yet.", I laugh as we walk inside the house. I take Delaney from Ana and set her down in her high chair while Ana does the same with Jamison. We then start getting the kids' lunch ready. Elliot and Spencer are still standing by the counter. "Guys, grab a plate and help yourselves."

"I didn't want to be rude and start eating while you and Ana were fixing the kids' food.", Elliot replies. I pour juice into Jamison's sippy cup and hand Elliot a plate.

"Put some food on there.", I tell him with a grin.

Once the kids' food is ready, Ana and I fill our own plates up. I alternate between eating my food and helping Jamison with his while Ana eats and feeds Delaney. Both kids have hearty appetites and eat most of their food.

"How long do you think it'll take to put the swingset together?", Spencer asks Elliot and me. I look over my sandwich at Elliot.

"I don't think it'll take long at all.", Elliot shrugs. "Right, Christian?"

"I'm not sure.", I reply. "We could be done in no time or we could be out there a while. It all depends on how well we follow the directions."

"The directions which someone didn't want to use.", Ana giggles as my phone rings from my pocket. I ease it out and see my mom's name on the screen. "Mom, hey."

"Hi. I wish I were calling on better circumstances.", she says. "I was working a shift when Charles was brought in. He had been in a car accident."

"Is he ok?"

"He was awake when he was brought in, but I'm not sure the full extent of his injuries. Carol arrived not longer and was so upset that I told her I'd call you."

"I'll be there soon.", I say, ending the call. I push my plate back and stand while the rest of the table watches me. "Charles was in a car accident and is in the hospital."

"You and Ana go.", Elliot says. "Spencer and I will watch the kids."

"Thanks.", Ana tells him.

* * *

"Hey guys.", my mom says upon greeting us at the hospital. She leads us down a hallway that feels like it's never ending. "Carol's in there with him now, but you can go in." We get to a closed door, but I suddenly find myself unable to move.

"Christian, what's wrong?", Ana asks as she touches the side of my face.

"I just need a minute before going in there."

"He's pretty scratched up and has a concussion, but he's going to make a full recovery.", my mom assures me. I nod and slowly open the door. Carol, seated in the chair next to the bed, stands and hugs us while Charles smiles from the bed.

"I told Carol this morning that we should call you and Ana and see if you wanted to come over for dinner. I guess that plan's out the window.", Charles chuckles until he winces.

"The doctor said he's very lucky.", Carol says. "A car was coming from the other direction and tried to pass another. It ended up getting over on Charles's side of the road."

"I tried to move over enough so the car wouldn't hit me hit on, but I ended up losing control and going off the road.", Charles sighs. "My car's a total loss."

"Cars can be replaced.", I scoff. "You can't be." He and I lock eyes as Ana and Carol stand in silence.

"Carol, do you want to go and get some coffee?", Ana asks.

"Sure." Carol gently kisses Charles. "We'll be back soon."

"Getting coffee is clearly code word for leaving so you and I can talk.", I say. "I was scared when I got the call you had been in an accident, and I had to gather the strength before coming in here."

"I'm going to be ok."

"And I'm thankful for that, but I couldn't stop my mind from thinking the worst. We've come so far yet no far enough." The sunlight streaming through the windows shines on a a few tears that are falling from his face. "I didn't make you cry."

"You only wanted to make yourself cry?", he jokes, pointing to the tears that I'm shedding. "Seriously though, I wasn't sure how things with us would go at first, but they've gone better than I could ever hope for. I'm grateful for every second we've had, and I look forward to more time."

* * *

"Today definitely didn't go as planned.", Ana says. She and I are in the living room floor where we're playing with the kids. It was late when we got home from the hospital so Elliot and I are going to work on the swingset tomorrow.

"It didn't, but it's ok." Jamison rolls his large green ball towards me, and I roll it back to him. "The day is ending on a good note."


	67. Chapter 67

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"How's the patient?", Nancy asks when I walk into the kitchen. I set the tray in my hand down on the counter and smile.

"She keeps insisting that she's feeling better, but I know she's only saying that." Upstairs in the bed is Ana who's battling the flu. She started aching and running a fever the other day but insisted she was fine. Of course I didn't believe her and took her to the doctor where she tested positive for the flu. She's been in bed ever since, something that's driving her crazy. What's really upsetting though is the fact that the kids aren't here. They're staying with my parents who volunteered to watch them for us. Ana and I have talked to them on the phone and have Skyped with them, but it's not the same.

"The important thing is for her to get all the rest she can." I yawn and nod. "Speaking of rest."

"I'm fine. Since Ana said she's going to nap, I'm going to head into my study and do some work." My work schedule was already light this week, but I've been doing a little work here and there from the house. I walk from the kitchen and get to my study just as my phone rings. I pull it from my pocket and see that it's Charles. "Charles, hi."

"Hey." I enter the study and settle behind my desk. "I thought I'd call and see how Ana's feeling." His words are ironic since it was only a week ago that he was in a car accident which made us worry about him. Despite being released from the hospital, he's still recuperating.

"She's about the same. I took her some soup earlier, and she ate half of it which is more than she's been eating."

"Half a bowl is better than nothing. The flu is far from a walk in the park. I had it a few years ago and was miserable."

"I've never had it myself, but I wish I could trade places with Ana.", I say. "How about you? How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling better today than I was yesterday. My soreness level isn't as high. I was even able to convince Carol to go to work. Mary told her there wasn't a rush, but I, on the other hand, told her she needed to get back to work. Even though I'm moving around slow, I'm capable of doing some things on my own. I even managed to make a bowl of cereal earlier."

"Impressive.", I chuckle. "You still shouldn't push yourself."

"I'm not.", he replies. "I think I'm going to go and rest a while."

"Ok. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call."

"I won't. Bye."

"Bye." I set the phone down and open the folder Andrea brought by earlier. Inside are several papers that need my signature. After reading and signing off on them, I leave the study and go to look in on Ana. Easing the bedroom door open, I see she's climbing into the bed. "Ana, I thought you were going to take a nap."

"I needed to go to the bathroom, and on my way out I looked in the mirror.", she groans. "Why didn't you tell me I look hideous?"

"Because you don't. You're as beautiful as always." I help her back in bed.

"Even when my eyes are puffy, and my nose is red?"

"Even then.", I assure her. "Close your eyes and take a nice nap. When you wake up, we'll call and talk to the kids."

"I miss them.", she sighs drowsily.

"I know you do. I miss them too, but it's best that they stay away until you're feeling better." She nods and closes her eyes.

* * *

"Mama!", Jamison shouts the instant he sees Ana during our Skype session with the kids.

"Hi.", Ana smiles while touching the laptop screen. Jamison's eyes finally spot me.

"Dada."

"Hey there little man. Are you being good for Grandma and Grandpa?", I ask.

"Yeah."

"He's been a little angel.", my mom says. She moves a little to her left so I can see her better. "He and your dad have been playing cars almost nonstop. Oh, we made some homemade ice cream earlier."

"Homemade ice cream sounds yummy.", Ana says. Her mood is much better now that she's getting to see and talk to the kids.

"It was. It was the first time in ages that we've made it, but it turned out great. Delaney liked it, but I don't think she liked it as much."

"Where is Delaney?" My question is answered by the sound of Delaney crying in the background. Moments later, my dad appears on the screen with the baby in his arms. "There she is."

"She's a little fussy.", my dad tells Ana and me.

"Delaney, hi.", Ana says. "Are you being fussy?"

"I don't believe she got her full nap in.", my mom answers. "Ana, how are you feeling?" Ana glances at me and then back at the screen.

"A little better. I'm more than ready for the kids to be home, but a certain someone reminded me that I should focus on my health so the kids can come home."

"I'm the certain someone.", I smirk. "Jamison, Delaney, Mommy and Daddy love you."

"Luv you.", Jamison grins as he blows a kiss to the screen.

* * *

"Mary, Ray, hey. Come on in." I move from the doorway and wave them inside the house. Ray's eyes immediately scan the room. "The kids are still at my parents'."

"I figured. It's quiet.", he sighs.

"Too quiet.", I laugh. "I'm sure they're make up for it when they get home."

"Is Ana resting?", Mary asks.

"Yeah. We talked to the kids on Skype, and she went to sleep shortly afterwards. Have a seat." Ray sits down on the sofa while Mary hands me the wicker basket in her hand. "What do we have here?"

"It's a little something I put together for Ana. It has tissue, cough drops, and chapstick. My lips always get chapped when I'm sick. I also put a few magazines in there along with a word search book."

"Ana's going to like this. Thank you." Mary takes the spot next to Ray on the sofa, and I sit down in the recliner. "How are you guys?"

"Good. We went earlier to look at paint samples for the shutters I'm making for the house.", Ray says. "Mary told me I should just buy some, but I'd rather make them myself."

"Ana says you and I are two of the most stubborn men she's ever met.", I laugh. "What color did you end up going with?"

"Off white. I'm going to start working on the shutters tomorrow, but I'm going to hold off on putting them up since it's supposed to rain the next few days."

"Ray's not the only one with remodeling on the mind. The Danson's Diner crew started working on the new place yesterday. It appears they're going to be doing a massive remodel. I've been doing some thinking and have decided to heed everyone's advice and continue working at my diner the way I always do. People will go to the new place. It's a given. However, I know my regulars will still be loyal."

"They sure will.", Ray says.

* * *

After Ray and Mary leave, I once again go upstairs and into the bedroom. I place Ana's get well basket on the table by the door before tiptoeing to the bed where Ana's resting peacefully. I sit down in the oversized arm chair by the bed and watch her.

"I know you're sleeping, but I'm still going to tell you how much I love you. It's something I never get tired of saying. Most of all, it's something I never get tired of doing." Ana's eyes flutter open, and she smiles.

"I'll never get tired of loving you either."


	68. Chapter 68

**A/N: I'm going to start off by saying I'm sorry for the delay with the chapter. At one time I was able to update frequently, but life got busy. I also ran into writer's block with the story which is not over. Just this morning I got a review telling me they felt the story wasn't complete. That's because the story isn't complete. Updates might not be as often as they've been in the past, but I assure you this story and my others will be finished. Thank you for reading and enjoy. **

**A POV**

"Yummy.", Jamison says as he eats more of his mixed vegetables.

"They certainly are yummy.", Christian nods in agreement. He takes a bite of his own vegetables and smiles at me. "Mommy did a great job with dinner."

"Thank you.", I say. Now that I'm recovered from the flu I have the energy to get back to my normal routine. The worst part of the illness was not having the kids at home. I talked to them on the phone and Skyped with them, but it wasn't the same as seeing their sweet faces in person. I smile back at Christian over my water glass. "I'm not sure I've thanked you enough for taking care of me when I was sick."

"You've said it countless times although there's really nothing to thank me for."

"You're so modest." I look away from him and go back to feeding Delaney who has as big of an appetite as her big brother.

"Modesty is my middle name.", Christian laughs. He wipes his mouth with his napkin. "I might be late coming to bed tonight. I've got to go over the department reports from the last quarter."

"Try and not be too late.", I tell him.

"I'll try. Jamison, do you want some more vegetables."

"Yeah." Christian happily scoops more vegetables on to Jamison's plate.

"He might despise veggies when he's older so we should cherish him liking them now.", I laugh.

"Hopefully he along with his sister will still like them.", Christian adds.

* * *

"Spencer, what's the status on the wedding planning?", Mia asks while we're in the living room of Mia and Ben's house. Spencer and I brought lunch over for Mia whose due date is almost here. Spencer and Delaney stayed at home where they're playing with Riley.

"I've got the dress.", Spencer replies, referring to the one shoulder Grecian style dress she tried on a few weeks ago. "Elliot's going to skip the tux route and instead wear a suit since the wedding is going to be casual. My bouquet is going to be made of lilies which are also going to be placed around the backyard of Grace and Carrick's."

"That means you've decided on a location.", I say.

"We have. Grace said we can have the wedding at their house. The exact date is still up in the air, but we're thinking about having it around sunset."

"That'll be so romantic.", Mia sighs before drawing out a deep breath.

"Are you ok?", I ask worriedly.

"I'm fine. The baby's just kicking up a storm. Ben's been attentive the entire pregnancy, but he's been more so lately. I can be watching television or reading and feel his eyes on me."

"That's sweet and sort of creepy at the same time.", Spencer giggles. "Speaking on kids, Ana, I'd like for Jamison to be the ring bearer and Delaney to be the flower girl. Since Delaney's not walking yet she can ride in a wagon that's pulled by Jamison."

"Spencer, thank you for wanting the kids in the wedding, and of course the answer is yes."

"Great." She claps her hands and sighs.

* * *

"Ros and I are meeting with some developers this evening. The meeting was originally scheduled for this morning, but their flight from Boston was delayed due to the rain.", Christian says from the other end of our phone call. I've just returned home and am in the living room where Jamison and Delaney are playing.

"Do you know what time you'll be home?", I ask.

"I'm not sure. We're going to discuss things over dinner."

"Oh. Ok.", I murmur, feeling an ache at the fact that he won't be at dinner tonight.

"Ana, I'm sorry. This deal is one that we've been trying to get in place for a while now, but the Boston developers have been busy as have Ros and I. This is our best chance to get details worked out."

"I understand. Your work is important."

"True although it's not important as you and the kids. I promise I'll make it up to you.", he says.

"It's ok really.", I reply as Delaney starts getting fussy. "I've got to go but will talk to you later."

"All right. I love you guys."

"We love you too." I end the call and pick up Delaney. "Shh. It's ok." Gail walks into the room with Riley toddling next to her. "I think little Miss Delaney has a new tooth coming in." Delaney's crying subsides, and she lays her head on my chest. "Christian said he's going to miss dinner."

"Jason just called and told me the same."

"How about you all join me and the kids? We're having spaghetti and will have way too much."

"I'd like that. It'll only be me and Riley though. Sophie's having dinner at her friend Elise's. What can I bring?", Gail asks.

"Just your appetite."

* * *

**C POV**

"We've already found a substanial amount of land for the building of the factory.", Dennis Grady says. He's the CEO and President of Grady Incorporated, a firm which Ros and I are working with in relation to a fiber optics factory in Boston. Seated next to him is Gretchen Anderson, the Vice-President of Grady Inc." They along with Ros and I are discussing business over dinner in the conference room of GEH. Mr. Grady passes a piece of paper across the table to me. "The location of the land is ideal. It's located in the northern part of Boston. It's not in a heavily traffiked area, yet it's not in the middle of no where either."

"The owner of the land wrote down a number, but there's always room for negotiating.", Ms. Anderson adds. She opens her folder and passes another piece of paper to me as I pass the first one to Ros.

"This number isn't too bad considering the acreage we'd be aquiring.", I say before taking a bite of my the turkey sandwich from the deli across the street. I hand the paper to Ros who nods in agreement.

"It's definitely a nice number.", Ros says.

"But I feel we can get the number even lower.", Ms. Anderson replies as Mr. Grady sighs. "My boss, however, doesn't agree."

"It's not that I don't agree.", Mr. Grady says, twirling his pen. "The owner of the property told us how the land has been in his family for years. It's very sentimental to him, yet he needs the money. I don't want to cheat him."

"I find your reason very admirable.", I tell him. I grab my pen and jolt down a number on a piece of paper. "Offer this to him."

"Um...Mr. Grey, this number is more than what he asked for.", Ms. Anderson murmurs.

"I'm aware, but I'd like to offer him more."

"That's very generous of you, sir.", Mr. Grady says over a loud boom of thunder. "It sounds like more rain is on the way."

"I'm confident about what we've accomplished. Why don't we call it a night?", Ros suggests. I gather my paperwork and roll my chair back.

"Sounds good to me. Mr. Grady, Ms. Anderson, please relay the new offer to the property owner and let me know what he says." The four of us walk out of the conference room. "Thank you for meeting with us."

"It was a pleasure.", Mr. Grady says as we shake hands. "Have a good rest of the evening." He and Ms. Anderson leave on the elevator while Ros and I remain.

"I bet you're anxious to get home to Ana and the kids.", Ros says.

"Yeah. I could hear the disappointment in Ana's voice when I told her I wasn't going to be home for dinner. I know we've got a lot of work to do on the new deal, but I'm going to only work a partial day tomorrow." Ros taps her foot on the carpet and rolls her eyes. "You have an issue with me only working part of the day?"

"No. I have an issue with you working any tomorrow. Christian, take the day off." I open my mouth, but Ros's hand clamps it shut. "Don't argue with me. I'm ordering you to take the day off."

"Fine.", I chuckle. "I'll follow your orders and take the day off."

* * *

Taylor and I arrive home around nine, and he immediately heads to his house to see Gail and the kids. Only a lamp is on in the living room as I trudge up the stairs in search of Ana. I pad softly into Jamison's room where he's sleeping soundly. I lean down and kiss his cheek.

"I love you.", I whisper before easing out of the room. I go across the hallway to Delaney's nursery. Like her big brother she's in a peaceful slumber. I kiss her cheek and pad out of the nursery. I open the door of the master bedroom and freeze. With her head propped up with two pillows Ana has her eyes closed. When I called her before leaving the office she said she'd still be awake, but it seems she sleep won over. I remove my tie and place it on the back of the chair. I then slip off my shoes. Just as I'm about to make my way to the bed Ana opens her eyes. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"I didn't mean to fall asleep.", she yawns. I climb on to the bed and kiss her.

"I'm sorry I had to work late, and I know it's not completely ok with you even though you say it is."

"I do wish you would've been at the table with us, but you had work to do. Speaking of, did your meeting go well?"

"It did. We've got more work to do, but I'm happy with the progress we made tonight. We ordered sandwiches from the deli across the street. I had a turkey sandwich but would've rather been enjoying some of the spaghetti you made."

"It was delicious.", Ana smirks. "Jamison managed to put more in his mouth than on himself."

"A new record.", I laugh. "I'm not hungry at the moment but might have spaghetti for breakfast." Ana scoffs and shakes her head. "Spaghetti for breakfast sounds weird, right?"

"Just a tiny bit. Are you sure you're not pregnant?"

"No. You and I both know spaghetti is even better the second day."

"True. If you want it for breakfast then have it for breakfast. I can also put some in a bowl for you to take to work."

"That won't be necessary. I'm not going to work tomorrow. I planned to only work part of the day, but Ros convinced me to take the whole day off. You, Mrs. Grey, are going to have me with you the full day." Ana takes a pillow and covers her face, letting out a small scream. "If you don't want me home..."

"You know I'm joking and would like for you to be here, but you don't have to take off on my account."

"Baby, I'm taking the day off because I want to spend some time with my wonderful wife and kids." She scoots over and wraps her arms around my neck.

"I love you." she whispers.

"I love you too."

* * *

"Again!", Jamison shouts. He runs back over to me and grins, wanting me to pick him up and fly him around like an airplane. With the day off and weather nice Ana and I took the kids to the beach. I pick Jamison up and once again pretend to be an airplane.

"Weee! Here goes the airplane." I glide him in the direction of Ana and Delaney who are resting on the sand.

"See your daddy and brother?", Ana asks Delaney who has her blue eyes glued to every moment Jamison and I are making.

"Daddy needs to rest.", I tell Jamison as I ease him down. He grabs his plastic shovel and starts scooping up sand. Delaney then grabs a handful of sand and brings it towards her mouth. "No. That's not for eating." The sand falls from her grasp, but she stays calm.

"It's a beautiful day, huh?"

"Very." I adjust my sunglasses and lean back just as Jamison grabs the bottle of sunscreen. Ana quickly gets the bottle away and laughs. "These two are always prowling no matter where they are."

"They're definitely curious. Do you need to call the office to check on things?"

"Nope. Ros is there so things are going well." Ana nods yet doesn't seem convinced. "What is it?"

"I know Ros is more than capable of handling things, but I don't want you to feel like you're being a bad person by not calling to see how things are going."

"Ana, I don't want to sound repetitive, but I'm content with being here with being here with you and the kids." I open the sunscreen bottle and squirt a dab of the liquid on to my hand. I then crawl over to Ana who crinkles her nose in confusion.

"I have plenty of sunscreen.", she says. I ignore her and put the sunscreen on the tip on her nose. Jamison instantly starts laughing at the sight. His laughter then causes Delaney to laugh followed by Ana and then myself.

"That laughter is exactly why I have no regrets about not being at work.", I say while admiring my amazing family.


	69. Chapter 69

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

**C POV**

"I just got off the phone with Dennis Grady. The owner of the land accepted the offer you wrote down.", Ros says. She sets a Starbucks cup in front of me. "I went and grabbed a latte and thought I'd be nice by getting you something as well."

"Thank you.", I say, raising my cup and taking a drink of the piping hot coffee. "Damn. That's hot."

"What kind of person would I be if I brought you cold coffee?" She sits in the chair across from me and takes a drink of her own coffee. "There might be a slight bump in the deal with Grady."

"Ros, did you bring me coffee as a way of breaking bad news to me?", I ask, noticing the bag in her hand. She reaches inside the bag and pulls out a blueberry muffin which she places in front of me.

"I brought you coffee _and _a muffin to break the bad news.", she mutters. "During my call with Mr. Grady he informed me that Gretchen Anderson quit this morning. Her resignation is effective immediately. When Mr. Grady told her the land owner had accepted the number she had an outburst. She stated that she still thought the number was too high."

"I could see during our meeting that she wasn't happy with the asking price, but I also felt it was none of her business. The money's not coming out of her pocket."

"Which is what Mr. Grady told her. He informed her that she was stepping over the line and needed to focus on other apsects of the job." Ros breaks off a piece of my muffin and tosses it into her mouth. "Blueberry is my favorite, and they only had that one."

"Take the rest." I slide the pastry back to her. "What happened next?"

"Ms. Anderson said she wasn't working where she's not appreciated. She then grabbed her things from her office and left. Mr. Grady is torn. He knows that she was in the wrong, but he's also now short handed."

"I'm sure there are some more than capable people working for him, ones who could step up and take Ms. Anderson's place."

"He has a few in mind, but he's still nervous. I've got most of my work caught up here so..."

"You're wanting to go to Boston to help him?" Ros takes a drink of her latte and nods.

"I'd only be gone a few days and only if you are ok with it. I realize I'm always telling you that I've got things handled here so you can head home to Ana and the kids."

"Ros, stop. You've covered for me plenty of times here. I'll be fine without you for a few days." She doesn't appear convinced. "Go to Boston and help get things situated. That's an order." I'm smiling the entire time I'm telling her this.

"All right. I'll go and book my flight.", she replies as she stands.

"Use my plane.", I say.

"Thanks."

* * *

"Hey there." I bend down and kiss Jamison on the cheek, but he's more interested in the bouquet of mixed flowers I have in my hand. "I got Mommy some flowers. Do you want to give them to her?" He takes the bouquet and toddles into the living room. Ana looks up from placing Delaney in her swing.

"Here.", Jamison says as he hands the flowers to Ana. She inhales the scent and smiles.

"Jamison, when did you get me these?", Ana asks jokingly. "And how did you get them? You're not supposed to be driving." With the most serious expression she places her hands on her hips and raises a brow. Jamison responds with a scowl followed by a grin. Ana can no longer keep the charade and instantly melts at our son's sweet face. She kisses his forehead and takes the bouquet. "Thank you." She then meets my eyes. "And thank you."

"Why are you thanking me? Jamison's the one who gave you the flowers?", I tease. I kiss her and then reach to take Delaney out of her swing while Ana goes in the kitchen, returning a few seconds later with the flowers in a vase. "Delaney, do you want to come to Daddy?" I start to take the baby out of the swing, but she quickly kicks her feet and start fussing. "Ok...maybe I'll leave you in there."

"She only took a small nap after we got home from visiting my dad and Mary. Even though she's fussy now I don't think it'll take long for her to go to sleep tonight." Ana places the vase on the table next to the sofa and then picks up one of Jamison's cars which has rolled under the coffee table. "Jamison, here's you car." After taking the car from her he starts playing on the rug. I link my fingers with Ana's, and we settle on the sofa.

"Did you guys have a nice visit with your dad and Mary?", I ask.

"We had a very nice visit. Jamison helped my dad pick up some leaves in the yard."

"He's a good little helper.", I reply.

"Of course once all the leaves were in a pile both Jamison and my dad ran and jumped in them. It looked the exact same way as when they started.", she giggles. "It was ok though. Both of them had fun, and that's all that matters. How was your day?"

"It was ok. Ros and I ran into a bump with the Boston deal. Gretchen Anderson, the V.P. of Grady Inc., quit. Dennis Grady, the CEO, is now on his own until he can name a replacement. Having him on his own means he'll have to do twice as much if not more work than planned. Ros is going to Boston in the morning to help. It's only supposed to be for a few days, but it could end up being longer. Having her out of the office means I'm going to be there a little more." Ana nods but doesn't get her normal worried look on her face, the one she gets when she complains about me working too much. "You're being calm."

"I am.", she says. "I think it's nice that Ros is wanting to help in Boston. She's always been wonderful with helping. I can't even count the times she's offered to cover the office so you can be at home."

"Things will be back to normal soon though, I promise."

* * *

**A POV**

"Maybe it wasn't a good idea to let them watch The Lion King.", Spencer whispers to me. We're standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room, watching as both April and Mia bawl during the Disney movie. Mia blows her nose into her tissue and looks over at Spencer and me.

"Are you laughing at us, two very hormonal pregnant women?", Mia asks through sniffles.

"No. We're just wondering if a comedy would've been a better choice." April and Spencer both had the day off from work so I invited them along with Mia over to the house. April brought Alex who's now napping upstairs with Jamison, Delaney, and Riley.

"I actually cry during comedies.", April murmurs. "Something funny will happen on screen, and I'll start laughing. That laughter soon ends up in tears."

"I'll one up you on the emotions.", Mia tells April. "Ben was flipping the channels the other night and stopped on some action movie. The lead character hit one of the bad guys, and I cried. I was saying, "Oh, I hope he's ok." You should've seen the look on Ben's face."

"All of those of emotions are worth it when you hold that precious baby in your arms.", Gail says as she joins us in the living room. "It's a feeling that's unlike any other." I glance around the room at the photos of Jamison and Delaney.

"Gail's right. I didn't know such a love was possible until I held Jamison and then Delaney." I notice Mia wincing. "Mia, are you ok?"

"Yeah, yeah.", she replies. "I'm just having one of the Braxton Hicks contractions. It's nothing."

"What if it's not?", April asks. "It could be the real thing, and you could be going into labor."

"April's right.", I say. "Mia, you need to go to the hospital in case it's the real thing." Mia lets what we're saying sink in and finally nods. "Do you want one of us to call Ben?"

"I'll call her him.", Mia answers while getting to her feet.

"Ana, if you and Spencer want to go with her I'll stay and here with Gail and the kids.", April tells me. Nancy had the day off so leaving Gail here with all the kids would be hectic. "I don't mind."

"Are you sure?", I ask, grabbing my phone and sending a text to Christian to let him know what's happening.

"I'm positive." Mia blows out a breath and starts crying. "What's wrong?"

"I know I've been saying how ready I am for the baby to be here, but now I'm not sure. I'm scared.", Mia stammers.

"It's ok to be scared. It's a natural feeling to have, but you're going to be a great mom and Ben a great dad. You've got each other and an entire army of friends and family to support you."

* * *

"So much for Braxton Hicks, huh?", Mia giggles. As suspected she was indeed in labor when she arrived at the hospital. Following being in labor for only five hours she delivered a healthy baby...girl. Sarah Katherine King has arrived on the scene and has her parents wrapped around her little fingers.

"She's so beautiful.", Ben whispers while sitting on the bed with Mia who's glancing down at the baby. He brings his eyes up and smiles. "Mia was great in the delivery room."

"I heard you didn't have anything for the pain.", Christian says to his sister.

"I decided to skip any sort of medicine. I might rethink that the next time though."

"You're already thinking about the next time?", I laugh.

"We're not going to try as soon the six week mark is over, but we're definitely going to have at least one more."

"Or two more.", Ben smirks.


	70. Chapter 70

**A/N: I'm sorry for the delay. Life has been busy, but this story will be completed. Thank you for all the support. I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday season!**

**A POV**

"Ben just called to let us know that he, Mia, and baby Sarah are home. He said Sarah slept the entire drive to the house but woke up the second they walked into the front door.", Christian says as he rejoins me in the living room.

"Of course she woke up.", I giggle.

"Not only did she wake up, but she also had a dirty diaper which Ben said he happily volunteered to change. Mia's going to feed her and then try to get her back to sleep."

"I know we saw them at the hospital, but I can't wait to see them again. However, I might wait a few days so they can get settled. They need some time to themselves." A hint of mischief flashes in Christian's eyes. "What's with that look?"

"What look?", he asks, acting as if he has no idea what I'm talking about.

"The look on your face. It sort of resembles the look you have when you're up to something." He shrugs casually and stands. Before I know what's going on he has me picked up and heading towards the stairs. "Yep. You're definitely up to something.", I giggle. Once upstairs we come to Delaney's room. "Let's stop and check on the kids."

"The kids are asleep. It's Mommy and Daddy time." I stick my lip out and pout. "Ok. We'll check on the kids." He sets me on my feet, and we slowly ease into Delaney's room. She's sleeping soundly. We make our way out of her room and into Jamison's. Only unlike his sister Jamison's not sleeping soundly. In fact he's wide awake and has climbed out of his bed and on to the floor where he's playing. I turn to Christian and arch a brow.

"Sleeping huh?"

"Jamison, what are you doing?", Christian asks. Jamison stops rolling his toy truck and looks up at Christian.

"Playing."

"Sweet boy, you've played enough today. It's time to go to bed.", I tell him. He crinkles his nose and then goes back to playing. "Jamison, it's night night time."

"No. I play.", he counters, performing an almost carbon copy of the pout I was doing just moments ago. Christian takes Jamison in his arms although our son isn't happy. "I play."

"There will be plenty of time to play tomorrow.", Christain says as he places Jamison back in the bed. "Daddy will stay in here until you fall asleep." Jamison rubs his eyes and yawns. I stand back and alternate my eyes from Christian to Jamison. My two guys. Jamison's eyes begin to grow heavy as does Christian.

"You go on to bed. I'll stay with him.", I whisper. Christian shakes his head.

* * *

Fiftteen minutes later Jamison's fallen asleep, and Christian and I are in our bedroom. Having changed into my pajamas, I watch Christian put on his pajama pants. He slides into the bed and scoots close to me.

"Is it bad part of me was wanting to let him stay up and play?"

"No, but you did the right thing. He needs his sleep. He's also not the only one."

"I really did plan on doing some very naughty things to you.", he yawns. "I guess not getting much sleep last night and then going to work earlier today has caught up with me." I place my hands on his chest and kiss the corners of his mouth.

"And that's why you need to go to sleep." I kiss him one more time.

"I'd normally disagree with you, but I'm honestly too tired to." I turn off my bedside lamp and replace my hand with my head on his chest. "I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

**C POV**

"Mr. Grady and I have made a lot of progress with things.", Ros tells me from Boston where she's been the last two days. "We're going to meet again in the morning, and then I'll be on my way home."

"Sounds great. You know Boston is a lovely place. You should take in some of the sights. I'd be ok if you wanted to stay on an extra day." With the phone in my right hand I pick up my coffee cup with my left and take a drink.

"Boston is indeed a lovely place, and I just might look around before leaving. However, I'll be on a later flight and still back the day after tomorrow."

"I've got a feeling I won't be able to change your mind.", I laugh.

"Nope. I'll talk to you later."

"Ok." With the call over I decide to start working on some emails, but I'm interrupted by a knock at the door. "Come in." April walks in. "Hey."

"Gretchen Anderson is here to see you. She apologized for not having an appointment but said she'd like to speak with you." I'm absolutely perplexed as to why the former VP of Grady Inc. is here. "Would you like me to tell her you're unavailable?"

"No. Let her in." A few moments later Gretchen Anderson waltzes in with a folder in her hand. "Ms. Anderson, I'm not sure why you're here, but I'll allow you a few minutes. Have a seat." She saunters to one of the chairs in front of my desk.

"I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me, and I assure you that your time won't be wasted. Mr. Grey, I grew up with ambitions to become successful. Throughout my younger years I worked hard and made the best grades. I graduated the top of my class in high school and was rewarded with admission to Yale. My drive only increased there."

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to strive.", I reply. "But I'm having difficulty understanding what your point is."

"My point is I've worked my ass off to get to the top, and I know what I need to do to get there. I need to work for you." I try and fail to stifle my laughter. "It's no laughing matter, Mr. Grey. You're one of the best in the business, and I feel working for you would be a wonderful opportunity."

"Thank you for your kind words. However, the way you acted in your position at Grady Inc. is questionable. During the meeting you attended with Mr. Grady I got the impression that you're difficult and that you like to undermine people."

"I wouldn't describe myself with either of those words. I like to express my feelings and be heard.", she shrugs.

"I heard you had an outburst with Mr. Grady before you resigned."

"Only because I felt offering less money for that land was a huge mistake. Mr. Grady is a nice man, but being nice is also his downfall. How can you make money if you go around making low offers?" She sighs and shakes her head.

"I'll remind you that I was ok with the low number. One reason I got to where I am is because I see clients as people instead of just a name. They're human and have families to support just like you and I."

"So you're not willing to hire me?"

"Correct.", I answer as I stand. She scoffs and gets to her feet. "You've done nothing but wasted your time and mine."

"There might very well be a day where your company is falling apart, and you'll be second guessing yourself."

"I highly doubt that." Without another word she stomps out of the office.

* * *

"I talked to Mary today. Even though the opening of Danson's Diner has her still a tad nervous she's not going to let it consume her.", Ana says while I'm helping her prepare dinner.

"Good. She has many, many loyal customers who'll continue going to her place."

"Which is one reason she's going to have a customer appreciation day next week. She wants to thank people for supporting her over the years." I hand Ana a towel to dry her hands.

"A customer appreciation day is a great idea." A lightbulb goes off in my head. "It's such a good idea that I might have to borrow it. I had a visit today from a former employee of Grady Inc, the company I'm now working with."

"The one who Ros is helping in Boston?"

"Yeah. This woman, Gretchen Anderson, had the audacity to come to me for a job when she was disrespectful with her last one. I explained that unlike her I value people who I work with. Now I'm thinking it could be nice to invite former and current clients to a party. I'm where I'm at thanks to them. Do you think they'd like that?"

"I think they'd love it."


End file.
